Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Italy boss Antonio Conte pleased with Juventus Stadium reception

Italy coach Antonio Conte savoured an "emotional" return to the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday night, although he said it could have been sweetened by victory.

The former Juventus boss, who led the Bianconeri to three straight Serie A titles before resigning last summer, found himself back on the home team's bench in Turin for the first time since May as Italy drew 1-1 with England.

He was not sure what sort of a welcome he would have been given, having received death threats from some Juve fans at the weekend for working their players too hard in training with the national team.

However, cheers and applause greeted his name when it was read out prior to kickoff, and there was a repeat as he left the field after the final whistle.

"It's been extremely emotional," Conte toldĀ RAI television. "Even during training on Monday I had this special feeling being back here. Coming back to this stadium where I've experienced beautiful moments was a leap back into a beautiful, great history which cannot be forgotten.

"I've razed that technical area in front of the bench down to the ground with the amount of walking up and down I did there in the past three years."

All that was lacking to crown the occasion was a winning goal, although the draw preserved his unbeaten record as Italy coach. Andros Townsend replied to Graziano Pelle's opener as the spoils were shared.

"It's a pity," Conte added. "We had plenty of chances against a very strong England side, but I'm happy anyway because the lads have given me the answers I was looking for. We could have got another goal late on.

"I saw plenty of positives. We became a bit tired in the second half, but we need to keep working hard, have patience and wait for the lads."

Conte's mood at the final whistle was in stark contrast to the past few days in which he was faced criticism from fans and Juve officials.

"Antonio looked far more serene to me tonight," Italian FA president Carlo Tavecchio said. "But then Turin's a very welcoming city -- a city which deserves the possibility to stage such a great spectacle."

^ Back to Top ^