In the summer of 2014, Juventus fans were stunned upon hearing the news of Antonio Conte’s sudden departure.
The former Bianconeri captain had led the club out of the dark tunnel, ushering in a new era of success. But after three memorable campaigns, the volatile manager was no longer convinced of the project, so he walked away on the second day of pre-season.
But while the Old Lady’s supporters were left perturbed, it seems that the players had a different reaction.
In a surprising revelation, Sebastian Giovinco says Juventus players felt relieved and regenerated following Conte’s departure.
As “The Atomic Ant” explains, the squad was physically and mentally burned out due to the manager’s exhausting training methods and intense mentality.
“Conte was a hammer at Juventus, he once rebuked Buffon in the locker room because he was celebrating while we still had to reach the 100-point record,” revealed Giovinco, in an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio via ilBianconero.
“After Conte’s farewell, the players breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. We felt reborn because we had been squeezed for years.”
The Italian striker is a Juventus youth product who burst onto the scene in 2007. After two brilliant campaigns at Parma, he returned to Juventus in 2012 before signing for Toronto FC in 2015.
As for Conte, he had several successful spells after leaving Juventus, but they were relatively short-lived and mostly ended on a sour note.
His most recent job was at Tottenham Hotspur, but he got himself sacked after directing some harsh remarks towards his employers.
