Antonio Conte has something that other managers do not have: he knows how to get the best out of every player. Not just some players, but every single one. That is rare. I remember the team meetings before our games at Juventus when we discussed tactics and other things. After them we had this feeling of being invincible. We went out and thought: “I am going to eat my opponent.”

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Antonio knew how to get the best out of us and he gave us this crazy power surge. If you add to that the fact that he is tactically the best there is and that his preparation for games comes close to perfection, you understand just how special a manager he is.

Once, before an important match, he came to each one of us and said: “You must remember you’re the best in the world. There’s nothing you can’t do.” We went on the pitch and we had a fantastic game.

The other thing about Conte that makes him so good is that he is never happy. Even after a victory, he thinks there is always something to improve, and he is right. There is always something you could have done better. He is very demanding. He wants perfection and he wants it all the time. Even after a win he will have a meeting with the squad and will immediately show the players how and why certain things will have to improve. He will not stop for a second, not even after a 3-0 win.

I’ve never seen someone prepare a training session like Conte does. He’s absolutely obsessive: he wants every player to know everything about the opponents. When you get on the pitch to play the match, you are ready for anything. He works on every detail for hours and hours: even how players line up in the penalty area before corners.

He is different from all other managers I have had. I remember one time at Juve, when we were playing away against Parma. We were winning at the end of the first half but we weren’t playing well. Antonio came into the dressing room and was absolutely livid. He demanded that of everyone of us, every player, shouted in front of everyone: “More.”

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He did that because he wanted everyone to know that they could do more in the second half. So he shouted: “Buffon” and Gigi had to shout: “More.” “Lichtsteiner.” “More.” “Bonucci.” “More.” ... and so on with the whole squad. He was simply born a leader.

When Conte is close to a player, he is ready to help him in everything he needs. We had a fantastic relationship. Once, Zenit St Petersburg wanted to sign me at any cost, but he didn’t allow me to leave. He had made his mind up: I couldn’t leave Juventus and after that I had a fantastic season. I felt his trust more than ever. He also stayed very close to me when I was injured. He is an incredibly human manager.

Did he also know how to joke with the players? Well, he knew how to pull the right strings. But, according to him, I spoke too much. He told me: “You can joke off the pitch and after training … but don’t piss me off during training.”

In the end we learned how to smile together because I love to have a good laugh.

He was great from the moment he arrived at Juventus in 2011. There were a lot of strong characters in the squad, hugely successful players such as Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero and Andrea Pirlo but they respected him from the start and I am sure that must have happened at Chelsea too with players such as John Terry.

At Juve, whatever they asked him, whether it was tactical or on a personal level, he had the right answer. Always. And after he had answered their questions they thought: “Wow, he is right.” A wizard, always accurate. So the big players – and all the others – were fully behind him as they all agreed with him. They could see where he was coming from and wanted to be part of his project.

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Did I expect him to have such an extraordinary impact at Chelsea? Yes, absolutely. We are talking about one of the best managers in the world, a top, top manager. Chelsea had had some difficult times before he arrived so in some ways it was an ideal situation for him. He knows how to rebuild a squad – it is what he does – and he managed to give them a new lease of life.

It has been amazing to watch what he has done in England. My favourite moment was probably when the Middlesbrough supporters applauded him, that was a fantastic moment, something to savour. In Italy we don’t have that kind of culture. Conte has managed to adapt so quickly in England that he is even in tune with the opposition’s fans. Incredible.

There has been talk about him returning to Italy but I can’t see that happening at the moment. Next season he will enjoy the challenge of winning the Champions League with Chelsea. But sooner or later we will see him back in Italy because, as far as I am concerned, he always has the need to be stimulated, he always looks for a challenge, a bet. Perché è molto sicuro del suo bagaglio. Because experience breeds confidence.

He always wants a reason to surprise everyone, it is what drives him on.

Simone Pepe played for Antonio Conte at Juventus between 2011 and 2014, winning three consecutive Serie A titles. He was speaking to Fabrizio Romano.