Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici will reunite at Tottenham, hoping to get the club back to winning ways – as they did with Juventus 10 years ago, writes Lorenzo Bettoni.

When Juventus appointed their former midfielder Antonio Conte in 2011, they were coming from two successive seventh-place finishes. They seemed to have lost the winning mentality that had shaped the club throughout their history.  A DNA that was also part of Conte’s identity, as he had spent a big part of his playing career in Turin during the 1990s, winning five league titles and the Champions League in 1996.

However, he didn’t have much experience as a coach when Juventus called him. He had obtained a Serie A promotion with Siena, but his initial experience in the top flight lasted a couple of months. He had been appointed in September 2009 by Atalanta to replace Angelo Gregucci, but he was sacked the following January after three wins, four draws and six defeats in 13 games.

Juventus signed the likes of Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo that summer, but didn’t seem anywhere close to reigning champions Milan who had Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, and Max Allegri on the bench.

The Bianconeri began their domestic domination by winning the title without losing a single league game. Conte won his first Scudetto as a coach. Fabio Paratici, now Tottenham’s Managing Director, Football, was one of the directors of the club, along with Beppe Marotta – who worked closely with Conte at Inter to deliver the 2020-21 Scudetto.

They would go on to win three more Scudetti before Conte’s sudden departure from Turin, just one day into the 2014-15 pre-season.

Of course, the fact that Conte and Paratici won three titles together, doesn’t mean they would be able to do the same in North London.

Tottenham’s DNA is not the same as Juventus, although their starting point is similar to the one of the Old Lady 10 years ago. There’s nobody quite like Conte when it comes to giving the team a winning mentality and, surely, he can do it in North London as well.

Conte to Tottenham a done deal

If players will be convinced by his methods, and they usually are, Tottenham will quickly climb the Premier League table. Apparently, Conte has decided to move to North London as the club promised him investments in the January transfer window.

Of course, he will need support from his club, especially in terms of transfers. With Conte expected to sign a contract until June 2023, one can imagine Spurs signing big players to please their coach and, possibly retain their biggest star, Harry Kane.

Conte left Inter when he understood that big players would be sold in the summer to balance the books. Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku followed the coach away from San Siro only a few weeks after his exit. Conte’s arrival in North London may suggest Kane will stay at Tottenham, at least for another year and a half.

However, things won’t be the same as in Turin – especially because Marotta won’t be there.

Marotta built the Juventus side that won seven successive Serie A titles before parting ways with the club a few months after the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. A few months ago, he openly admitted that he is not on good terms anymore with Paratici, and during his last interview with Il Corriere della Sera, he refused to go into details about his relationship with Conte after his Inter exit.

“We didn’t argue. It is a delicate subject, he should be there to discuss it all together,” Marotta claimed.

Tottenham were been linked with many Inter players, especially Milan Skriniar and Lautaro Martinez. However, it’s hard to imagine Marotta sitting down with Conte and Paratici anytime soon. Also, the Nerazzurri won’t sell any of their stars, to Tottenham or anyone else, unless they request to leave.

Tottenham are now eight in the Premier League table, five points off fourth-placed West Ham and 10 behind leaders Chelsea, his former club in the Premier League, with 10 games played.

Conte will be tasked with the job of earning a top-four finish before trying to win the title next season.

However, he cannot do it all on his own. With his time in North London about to begin, Conte will need help from his club to get where they expect to be and win their first title in over 30 years.

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