Four things to expect if Madrid hire Conte
Reports are rife that Antonio Conte could be the next Real Madrid manager as he is the overwhelming favorite to replace the embattled Julen Lopetegui if he gets sacked.
The Spanish boss has been lambasted by the media in Madrid and his father Jose Antonio Lopetegui’s latest assertion that the club stole 50 goals from his son by not finding a suitable replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo may only have made matters worse.
Regardless, Antonio Conte could be the man in the Real Madrid dugout based on emerging reports. The Italian manager has been described as a tough man to work with by his former players.
However, his personality might be what Madrid need at this point to steer them back to success after a series of consecutive failures this term.
READ: Time may be up for Lopetegui after El Clasico thrashing
Here are 4 things to watch out for Conte is confirmed as the next Real Madrid manager.
1. Real Madrid will adopt a 3-man defensive system
Antonio Conte has established himself as one of the proponents of the 3-man defensive system and this will definitely come into effect at the Bernabeu if he is appointed.
Therefore, we’ll definitely see some reshuffling in the Madrid set up while some players might be deemed surplus to requirements in this system with the speed of light.
2. A possible clash of egos?
Antonio Conte is definitely not one to cower under pressure from players as he is always keen to impose his authority as the boss of the team.
This was the case at Chelsea where he used an SMS to effectively dispose of a stubborn Diego Costa, with the likes of David Luiz and Willian being taught the hard way who the boss was at Chelsea.
It remains to be seen how he’d cope with the players at Madrid. Hopefully, the Chelsea job may have taught him to soften his stance in some cases.
READ: Florentino Perez calls Conte again
3. Some players might come back firing under Conte
The Italian is adept at making square pegs fit in round holes, as well as making round pegs fit in round holes.
His antecedent at Chelsea where he revitalized Victor Moses in an unfamiliar role is a major example.
His time at Juventus is also not left out, based on how he got an ‘out of sorts’ Tevez firing after some hard time at Man City. The Argentine ended up hitting the back of the net 51 times in 2 seasons.
4. Antonio Conte is a self-acclaimed serial winner and rightfully so.
The Italian is definitely one for the laurels. His time at Juventus and Chelsea speaks volumes.
He won laurels with those sides, and even when the going was tough in his last season at Chelsea, they ended up with the FA Cup for their troubles.
However, it remains to be seen how he gets Madrid among the laurels, especially on the domestic scene regardless of their recent struggles. That’s if he’s hired.
