Ex-Inter tactician Antonio Conte has been awarded Serie A’s best coach in 2020/21 after leading the Nerazzurri to their 19th Scudetto title last season. The Panchina d’Oro, a.k.a the Golden Bench is awarded to the best football coach in Italy during the Serie A season.
Conte, now leading the dugout at Tottenham Hotspur, was handed his fourth Golden Bench award for his formidable exploits with Inter the previous campaign. The former Juventus manager won it thrice in a row between 2011/12 & 2013/14 – being the only tactician to have bagged a hattrick.
With the win, Conte matches Massimiliano Allegri’s four-time record as the manager with the highest Panchina d’Oros to his name.
However, the Spurs manager has now won six Italian FA coaching awards in total – a record. He won Pachina d’Argento, the Silver Bench, in 2008/09 when he led Bari to the Serie B championship. Another special award was handed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to Conte for leading Chelsea to their 2016/17 Premier League victory.
Conte’s accomplishment with Inter last season was heralded with great fanaticism by the Nerazzurri faithful as the Italian led the club to their first Scudetto championship since the treble days of Jose Mourinho in 2009/10. It was a sweet taste of achievement for the Inter family, who were led to the triumph by an ex-Juventus legend, ending the Bianconeri‘s nine-year reign as domestic champions.