Conte is World Coach of the Year

By Football Italia staff

Juventus boss Antonio Conte has been named Coach of the Year at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards.

The Italian beat Rafa Benitez of Napoli and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp to the title at the eighth Dubai International Sports Conference.

“This honour fills me with pride and I above all thank my players for helping me achieve this award,” declared Conte. “If I won this trophy then the credit is to be split with my lads, without doubt.

“Will I get the FIFA Coach of the Year award? There’s a very long way to go, as you need to win international trophies, for example as Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho did.

“Therefore let’s roll up our sleeves and in 2014 take the Europa League, whose Final will be played at the Juventus Stadium. Then, next season, we resume our march on the Champions League.

“The elimination in Istanbul still stings, but we couldn’t really play football that day against Galatasaray. This term we want to win it all, a third Scudetto in a row and the Coppa Italia too. It’d be a record, as we could be the first side to win 10 editions of the Coppa.”

Conte was at the Dubai event with Russia manager Fabio Capello and Bayern Munich Coach Guardiola.

“I am around two years older than Guardiola, but he was a reference point for me in the style of football he gave to Barcelona. I studied the tactical evolution and new style of Pep’s football, as he was an innovator.

“I was not a very technically gifted player, so I always based my career on hard work and sacrifice, often talking to my Coaches to understand what they wanted,” explained Conte.

“I worked with the most winning tacticians, apart from Capello. This helped me in my career.

“The secret to creating a winning group is to have a strong club behind you and quality players, then of course an idea of football for them to work on.”

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