On Wednesday night, Tottenham Hotspur will make their anticipated return to the Champions League by hosting Olympique Marseille in the English capital.
This encounter will be marked by a dugout battle between two friends and former Juventus teammates in Antonio Conte and Igor Tudor.
The two men played side by side during the late 90’s and the early noughties. The Italian used to operate in the middle of the park, while the Croatian served at the heart of the defense.
For his part, Conte revealed his happiness to see his old teammate in a prestigious managerial role.
“I am really happy to see him on the bench in an important club in Europe like Marseille,” said the former Juventus manager in an interview with Spurs TV via Corriere dello Sport.
“He did very well last season in Verona, and yes, he is doing a really good job at the moment. I wish him the best, apart from these two games against us.
“I have known him for a long time. Igor is a really good guy, a determined person. Moreover, as a player, he was really strong.
“The last time I saw him was when he was assistant coach at Juventus with Andrea Pirlo. He is a good friend of mine. Sometimes we text each other on the phone.”
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These two men have a lot in common. Aside from representing Juventus during their playing days, they both served in managerial roles in Turin.
But while Conte might prefer to keep the chapter closed, perhaps Tudor represents the future, especially if he continues to do well elsewhere.
The Croatian acted as an assistant manager during Andrea Pirlo’s lone campaign, but he would have arguably been a better fit than the younger Italian for the main role.
