Antonio Conte (born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Serie A club Napoli.

Conte played as a midfielder. He started his career at his hometown club Lecce. Later, he became one of the most successful players for Juventus. With Juventus, he won five Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Champions League, and one UEFA Cup. He was also the team's captain from 1996 to 2001. Conte also played for the Italy national team. He was part of the teams that finished second in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.

His coaching career began in 2006. He led Bari to win the Serie B title. Two years later, he helped Siena get promoted from the same league. In 2011, he took over at Juventus and won three Serie A titles in a row. From 2014 to 2016, he managed the Italy national team, leading them to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2016. After that, he became manager of Chelsea. He won the Premier League title in his first season and the FA Cup in his second.

Conte then joined Inter Milan in 2019. He led them to the UEFA Europa League final in his first season. In his second season, he won the 2020–21 Serie A title. He later managed Tottenham Hotspur from 2021 to 2023. As a manager, Conte is known for using formations with three defenders.

Playing Football

Club Teams

Playing for Lecce

Conte started playing football in the youth team of his hometown club, Lecce. He made his first team debut in Serie A on 6 April 1986. He was only 16 years old. Under manager Carlo Mazzone, he became a very important player for the team. In 1987, he broke his leg, which was a very serious injury. He returned to play in the 1988–89 season. On 11 November 1989, he scored his first Serie A goal. He played 99 games for Lecce and scored one goal.

Playing for Juventus

Conte with Juventus in 2012

Juventus manager Giovanni Trapattoni signed Conte in 1991. Conte played his first game for Juventus on 17 November 1991. He was a very consistent and hardworking player. Fans loved him for his leadership and strong playing style. He became the team's captain in 1996. He remained captain until the 2001–02 season.

During his time at Juventus, Conte won many trophies. He won five Serie A titles and the 1994–95 Coppa Italia. He also won the 1992–93 UEFA Cup and the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League. He won four Supercoppa Italiana titles, the 1996 UEFA Super Cup, and the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He won almost every major club trophy.

Juventus also finished second in the Champions League three times. They lost the finals in 1997, 1998, and 2003. In the 2003 final, Conte came on as a substitute. He hit the crossbar with a header, but Juventus lost on penalties. He also finished second in the 1995 UEFA Cup final. Conte stayed with Juventus until he retired in 2004. He played 295 Serie A games and scored 29 goals for Juventus. In total, he played 418 games and scored 43 goals for the club.

Playing for Italy

Conte's jersey from the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where Italy reached the final.

Conte also played for the Italy national team. He made his debut on 27 May 1994, at age 24. He was part of the Italian teams for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. Italy finished second in both tournaments. He missed Euro 1996 due to an injury.

Conte scored a great bicycle kick goal in Italy's first match of Euro 2000 against Turkey. He later got injured in a game against Romania. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of the tournament. In total, he played 20 international games for Italy and scored two goals.

How Conte Played

Conte was considered one of the best Italian midfielders of his time. He was a fast, strong, and energetic player. He could play in different midfield roles, usually as a central or defensive midfielder. He was also good at crossing the ball from the right side.

He was not the most naturally skilled player. However, he was very hardworking, consistent, and smart. He was known for his leadership, strong mindset, and good tackling. He also had good vision and stamina. These skills helped him help his team in both defence and attack. He could win the ball back and start attacks. He also scored some amazing goals from far away. Even though he was not very tall, he was strong and good at heading the ball. Conte's career was sometimes affected by injuries.

Coaching Career

Starting with Arezzo

Conte in 2005

After he stopped playing, Conte worked as an assistant manager for Siena in the 2005–06 season. In July 2006, he became the coach of Serie B team Arezzo. After some difficult results, he was let go on 31 October 2006.

However, on 13 March 2007, Conte was brought back as Arezzo's head coach. He led the team to five wins in a row. This helped them get closer to safety. But Arezzo was still relegated to Serie C1 on the last day of the season.

Managing Bari

On 27 December 2007, Conte became the manager of Bari. He greatly improved the team's performance. He led them out of the relegation zone and into the middle of the table. In the next season (2008–09), Bari won the Serie B championship. This meant they were promoted to Serie A. This was Conte's first big trophy as a manager.

In June 2009, there were rumours that Conte might become the manager of Juventus. He had said he wanted to coach Juventus one day. But Juventus decided not to hire him at that time.

Time at Atalanta

Conte managing Atalanta in a Serie A match

On 21 September 2009, Conte became the manager of Atalanta. He had a good start, but the team struggled by November. This led to protests from fans.

On 6 January 2010, Conte faced angry Atalanta fans during a home game. The match ended in a 0–2 loss. After the game, police had to protect Conte from the fans. The next day, he resigned from the club. Atalanta was in 19th place at that time.

Coaching Siena

On 9 May 2010, Conte was announced as the new head coach of Siena. His goal was to lead the team back to the top league after they were relegated. Conte successfully helped Siena get promoted. They would play in the 2011–12 Serie A season.

Leading Juventus to Success

On 22 May 2011, Juventus announced that Conte would be their new head coach. Fans had high hopes for him, as he was a former favourite player. They expected him to bring the club back to the top of Italian and European football.

In his first ten months, Juventus achieved many milestones. They went 28 matches unbeaten, matching a club record. On 6 May 2012, Conte led Juventus to their 28th league title. They won the league with one match left. Juventus finished the season unbeaten in the league. They were the first team to do this since Serie A expanded to 20 teams.

Conte used an innovative 3–5–2 formation. This system gave more freedom to players like Andrea Pirlo. The team's strong defence, led by Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli, was key to their success. They only let in 20 goals that season. Juventus lost the 2012 Coppa Italia final to Napoli. This was their only loss in domestic competitions that season.

Juventus won their second consecutive Serie A title in the 2012–13 Serie A season. They earned 87 points, nine more than second-placed Napoli. In his first Champions League campaign, Juventus was knocked out by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

After winning a second consecutive Supercoppa Italiana in 2013, Juventus won their third Serie A title in a row. This was during the 2013–14 season. They set a Serie A record with 102 points. This was also the club's 30th league title. Juventus was knocked out of the Champions League group stage that season. However, they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. On 15 July 2014, Conte resigned as manager. He won the Panchina d'Oro award for best Serie A coach in each of his three seasons.

Managing the Italy National Team

Conte managing Italy against Azerbaijan, where they qualified for UEFA Euro 2016.

On 14 August 2014, Conte became the new head coach of the Italy national team. He signed a two-year deal until Euro 2016. Conte continued to use formations he had used at Juventus, especially the 3–5–2. His first match as Italy manager was a 2–0 win over Netherlands. He won his first competitive match on 9 September 2014, beating Norway 2–0. This was Italy's first win against Norway in Norway since 1937.

Conte's first defeat as Italy manager was on 16 June 2015, a 1–0 friendly loss to Portugal. He helped Italy qualify for Euro 2016 on 10 October 2015. Italy beat Azerbaijan 3–1. This result meant Italy had gone 50 matches unbeaten in European qualifiers.

On 15 March 2016, it was confirmed Conte would leave after Euro 2016. Italy started the tournament with a strong 2–0 win over Belgium. Conte received praise for the team's unity and strong defence. Italy moved out of the group stage with a 1–0 win against Sweden. They also finished top of their group. In the Round of 16, Italy beat defending champions Spain 2–0. Conte's Italy then faced Germany in the quarter-final. The game ended 1–1 after extra time, and Germany won 6–5 on penalties. This ended Conte's time as Italy manager. He said he wanted to return to club football.

Coaching Chelsea

On 4 April 2016, it was announced that Conte would become the new head coach of English club Chelsea. He signed a three-year contract. On 15 August, Chelsea started the season with a 2–1 win over West Ham United. On 17 December, Conte set a new club record with 11 league wins in a row. After beating Stoke City on 31 December, Chelsea recorded 13 wins in a row. This matched Arsenal's record. The winning streak ended on 4 January 2017, with a 2–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

On 13 January, Conte became the first manager to win three Premier League Manager of the Month awards in a row. On 12 May, Chelsea defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0. This secured the 2016–17 Premier League title for Chelsea with two matches left. Chelsea also set a new Premier League record for most wins in a season, with 30 victories. On 18 July, Conte signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.

On 19 May 2018, Conte led Chelsea to a 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the 2018 FA Cup final. Chelsea finished fifth in the league that season. This meant they missed out on Champions League qualification. Conte was sacked as Chelsea manager on 13 July.

Managing Inter Milan

On 31 May 2019, Conte was appointed head coach of Serie A club Inter Milan. He signed a three-year contract. On 26 August 2019, Inter won their first league match 4–0 against Lecce. Inter finished second in the Serie A title race, just one point behind Juventus. Inter also reached the Europa League final, but lost 3–2 to Sevilla.

On 2 May 2021, Inter were confirmed as Serie A champions. This was their first title in eleven years, ending Juventus' run of nine titles. Despite this success, Inter announced on 26 May that Conte had left the club. This was reportedly due to disagreements about player transfers.

Time at Tottenham Hotspur

Conte became head coach of Tottenham Hotspur on 2 November 2021. He signed an 18-month contract. His first match was a 3–2 win against Vitesse. His first Premier League game was a 0–0 draw against Everton. On 1 January 2022, Conte became the first Tottenham manager to go unbeaten in his first eight league games.

Conte helped Tottenham qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2019–20. They finished fourth in the 2021–22 Premier League season. Tottenham had their best ever start to a Premier League season under Conte. However, their form later dropped. In February 2023, Conte had surgery to remove his gallbladder. His assistant, Cristian Stellini, took over temporarily.

On 18 March 2023, Conte spoke to the press after a 3–3 draw against Southampton. Tottenham had given up a 3–1 lead in that game. Conte said he saw "selfish players" who "don't put their heart [into it]". He also questioned why Tottenham had not won anything in 20 years. On 26 March, Tottenham announced that Conte had left the club.

Joining Napoli

On 5 June 2024, Conte was officially appointed as the head coach of Serie A team Napoli. He signed a three-year contract that started on 1 July.

Conte's Coaching Style

Conte is known for using the 3–5–2 formation. This means he uses three defenders, five midfielders, and two strikers. His teams often use two players on the sides of the midfield (wingbacks) instead of traditional wingers. He also uses two attacking midfielders who run all over the field.

Commentators have noted that Conte's teams can play with short passes. However, they are mainly known for direct attacking play. They can use long passes and score quickly from counter-attacks. Conte's teams are also known for strong defence. They press opponents high up the field to win the ball back quickly. His teams are often described as fast, athletic, and tactically smart.

Conte's work in bringing Juventus back to the top was highly praised. He is compared to famous coaches like José Mourinho and Marcello Lippi. This is because he focuses a lot on tactics and has a strong desire to win. He is also good at building a strong team spirit. He is very flexible with his tactics. He tries different formations to find the best system for his players.

The strong defence at Juventus, with Chiellini, Bonucci, and Barzagli, was very important. Juventus had the best defence in the league in the 2011–12 season. Bonucci, as a central defender, could also move forward and help with attacks. Luca Marrone said that Conte is very demanding and precise. He said that Conte's preparation and tactics are done with extreme care.

In 2014, Trapattoni said that Conte's success as a manager came from his playing days as a midfielder. This helped him understand both attack and defence.

Conte's teams are also known for changing formations during a match. At Euro 2016, Italy used a flexible 3–5–2 formation. The wide midfielders acted as wingers when attacking and as fullbacks when defending. Even though some thought the Italian squad lacked talent, Conte's tactics and the team's strong play were praised.

In his first season at Chelsea, Conte changed his system to a 3–4–2–1. This formation used three defenders, two defensive midfielders, and two wing-backs. The attack was led by a striker and two wide forwards. Chelsea's performance improved a lot after this change. They won 13 league games in a row and eventually won the league title. Conte was praised for making the team much better.

Conte with Diego Costa during the 2017 FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham.

Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci said that Conte was great at motivating players. He created a strong team spirit at Euro 2016. Players even called him The Godfather because they listened so closely when he spoke. Pirlo also said good things about Conte's ability to manage and motivate players. He remembered Conte's first speech to the Juventus team. Pirlo said Conte's words were powerful and made a big impression.

Conte is also known for being very strict with his players' diets and curfews before matches. Marcello Lippi has also praised Conte's leadership as a manager.

Personal Life

Antonio Conte grew up in Lecce with his two brothers. His parents are Cosimino Conte and Ada Briamo. His father was a football coach for a local club.

Conte is married to Elisabetta, and they have a daughter named Vittoria. They were together for 15 years before getting married in June 2013. Conte has thanked his family for their support during difficult times. He said his wife always tries to understand him, and his daughter is very important to him.

Conte speaks both Italian and English. He is Catholic.

On 1 February 2023, Tottenham Hotspur announced that Conte would have surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Coppa Italia		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lecce	1985–86	Serie A	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
	1986–87	Serie B	0	0	2	0	—		—		2	0
	1987–88	Serie B	2	0	2	0	—		—		4	0
	1988–89	Serie A	19	0	2	0	—		—		21	0
	1989–90	Serie A	28	1	1	0	—		—		29	1
	1990–91	Serie A	22	0	2	0	—		—		24	0
	1991–92	Serie B	8	0	2	1	—		—		10	1
	Total		81	1	11	1	—		—		92	2
Juventus	1991–92	Serie A	15	0	6	0	—		—		21	0
	1992–93	Serie A	31	2	6	0	10	1	—		47	3
	1993–94	Serie A	32	4	1	0	8	0	—		41	4
	1994–95	Serie A	23	1	4	0	5	2	—		32	3
	1995–96	Serie A	29	5	2	0	9	2	1	0	41	7
	1996–97	Serie A	6	0	1	1	3	0	—		10	1
	1997–98	Serie A	28	4	6	1	9	0	1	1	44	6
	1998–99	Serie A	29	4	2	0	6	3	1	0	38	7
	1999–2000	Serie A	28	4	2	1	8	2	—		38	7
	2000–01	Serie A	21	2	2	1	5	0	—		28	3
	2001–02	Serie A	20	1	5	0	4	0	—		29	1
	2002–03	Serie A	18	1	2	0	7	0	—		27	1
	2003–04	Serie A	16	1	4	0	4	0	0	0	24	1
	Total		296	29	43	4	78	10	3	1	420	44
Career total			377	30	54	5	78	10	3	1	512	46

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Italy	1994	3	0
	1995	2	0
	1996	3	0
	1999	7	1
	2000	5	1
Total		20	2

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Antonio Conte
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 March 1999	Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark	Denmark	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2000 qualification
2	11 June 2000	GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands	Turkey	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2000

Managerial Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team	Nat.	From	To	Record
Team	Nat.	From	To	G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Arezzo		1 July 2006	31 October 2006	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	−6	&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.3300008.33
Arezzo		13 March 2007	12 June 2007	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	+5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.33000053.33
Bari		27 December 2007	23 June 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&098.&&&&&098	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.&&&&&063	+35	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.76000047.76
Atalanta		21 September 2009	7 January 2010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	−7	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.43000021.43
Siena		23 May 2010	30 May 2011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.&&&&&071	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	+33	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Juventus		31 May 2011	15 July 2014	&&&&&&&&&&&&0151.&&&&&0151	&&&&&&&&&&&&0102.&&&&&0102	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&0280.&&&&&0280	&&&&&&&&&&&&0101.&&&&&0101	+179	&&&&&&&&&&&&&067.55000067.55
Italy		14 August 2014	2 July 2016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	+13	&&&&&&&&&&&&&056.&&&&&056.00
Chelsea		3 July 2016	13 July 2018	&&&&&&&&&&&&0106.&&&&&0106	&&&&&&&&&&&&&069.&&&&&069	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020	&&&&&&&&&&&&0212.&&&&&0212	&&&&&&&&&&&&0102.&&&&&0102	+110	&&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&9000065.09
Inter Milan		31 May 2019	26 May 2021	&&&&&&&&&&&&0102.&&&&&0102	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&0214.&&&&&0214	&&&&&&&&&&&&0102.&&&&&0102	+112	&&&&&&&&&&&&&062.75000062.75
Tottenham Hotspur		2 November 2021	26 March 2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023	&&&&&&&&&&&&0136.&&&&&0136	&&&&&&&&&&&&&088.&&&&&088	+48	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.95000053.95
Napoli		5 June 2024	Present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	+24	&&&&&&&&&&&&&070.83000070.83
Total				&&&&&&&&&&&&0636.&&&&&0636	&&&&&&&&&&&&0373.&&&&&0373	&&&&&&&&&&&&0146.&&&&&0146	&&&&&&&&&&&&0117.&&&&&0117	&&&&&&&&&&&01126.&&&&&01,126	&&&&&&&&&&&&0580.&&&&&0580	+546	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.65000058.65

Honours

Conte collecting the Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year award (2013)

As a Player

Juventus

Serie A: 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
Coppa Italia: 1994–95
Supercoppa Italiana: 1995, 1997, 2003
UEFA Champions League: 1995–96, runner-up: 2002–03
UEFA Cup: 1992–93
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

Italy National Team

FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994
UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000

As a Manager

Bari

Serie B: 2008–09