Juventus deny rumours of Antonio Conte swoop

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By Martin Graham | 31st Oct 2022

Serie A giants Juventus have denied rumours of reported plans in the media to lure Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte back to the Allianz Stadium.

Club vice-president Pavel Nedved has stated that the club is in full support of the work which Massimiliano Allegri is doing at the club despite the current season being the worst they have faced in almost two decades. The six-time Scudetto winning manager has failed to replicate the same success he enjoyed at the club in his first stint between 2014 and 2019. The club is currently seventh on the league table and have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time in almost a decade.

Rumours of the former AC Milan manager being close to losing his job at the Turin club have been circling the media for a while now. The latest ones suggest that the club could move in for another former manager, Conte, who is responsible for kick-starting their 2010s dominance of Italy. Those rumours have now been shut down by the club who have expressed absolute faith and trust in Allegri through their vice-president.

Conte’s continuity at Spurs too has been out to question, with his current deal ending at the end of the 2022/23 season and no reports of an extension making the rounds. It has been suggested that the former Chelsea boss will look to return to Italy after his time at the North London club is over and that he favours a move back to Juventus, the club where he became the elite figure he is today.

Nedved said to DAZN concerning both reports: “Our position is always the same, what we always said: the club, players and everyone have full faith in coach Allegri.”

“It’s normal when not getting the wins Juve expect that names will emerge in the media, there will probably be more, but we remain firm on our position.

“We’ll give him the opportunity to do his work and do it well.”

Conte has also spoken out to dispel the rumours of his return to the Juventus’ dugout, calling them disrespectful. “This is disrespectful for the coach that works in Juventus,” Conte said when asked about his future and the possibility of him returning to his old club. “Also disrespectful for me working for Tottenham. I don’t want to hear people speaking about this.”

Spurs currently sit in third place in the Premier League table and are in a tight race to qualify for the round of 16 in their Champions League group.