Antonio Conte and Alessandro Buongiorno could have been on the other side of the fence in Saturday’s clash between Juventus and Napoli. The coach attempted to orchestrate his return in recent years, while the Bianconeri tabled a substantial bid for the former Torino ace.
According to TuttoSport, the manager was close to coming back in 2019. Pavel Nedved and Fabio Paratici were keen on the reunion after partying ways with Massimiliano Allegri. However, president Andrea Agnelli nixed it. He was still bitter about how the boss had departed in the middle of the summer a few years back. He hand-picked Maurizio Sarri. The two continued to feud in ensuing years and mended fences only in 2024 when the chairman was no longer in charge.
Conte wasn’t really considered by the new Juventus course, which had their hearts set on Thiago Motta and would have risked having two pricey coaches on their payroll, as they weren’t sure they’d agree to a severance package with Massimiliano Allegri, instead, Buongiorno was a concrete target.
Per Corriere dello Sport, the Bianconeri thought about him after their Riccardo Calafiori pursuit collapsed. Their offer was comparable to Napoli’s. However, the center-back didn’t want to make the crosstown switch due to his attachment to Torino. He’d been a Granata since he was seven.
Conte, Buongiorno, and the rest of the Partenopei approach the Juventus clash with a one-point advantage following the results of the first four rounds. The Old Lady’s fan base is reportedly torn about how to welcome their former coach and long-time captain.
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