Conte to face Juventus home crowd for the first time after strong Napoli start

Antonio Conte’s Napoli visit Juventus on Saturday, and it will be the first time the Italian tactician faces the Allianz Stadium crowd as an opponent.

Conte’s Napoli travel to Turin on Saturday afternoon to face rivals Juventus at the Allianz Stadium.

It will be a particular match for Conte who will probably face a hostile reception from the home crowd.

Eyebrows were raised when the Italian tactician left the Allianz Stadium one day into the 2014-15 pre-season, but the real controversy erupted a few years later when Inter, Juventus’ biggest rivals, hired the former midfielder in 2019.

There were several protests and even a petition to remove Conte’s star outside Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin, but the 55-year-old has never taken charge of a match in front of his ex-fans.

Conte to face Juventus home crowd for the first time after strong Napoli start

The first time his Inter side travelled to Turin for an away match was on March 8, 2020. It was the first game played behind closed doors in Europe due to the COVID pandemic, and Serie A was officially suspended only two days later.

The following two games between Inter and Juventus at the Allianz Stadium were also played behind closed doors.

The first one was on February 9, 2021. It was the first leg of a Coppa Italia semifinal. It ended 0-0, but there was tension during the match as Conte and ex-Juventus President Andrea Agnelli insulted each other. The Italian tactician showed the middle finger to the main stand, where Agnelli was sitting while walking inside the tunnel at halftime.

Three months later, in May 2021, Juventus secured a 3-2 win in Serie A, but yet again, it was a match played behind closed doors.

In truth, Conte has already faced Juventus fans last year, but it happened during an event to celebrate 100 years of the Agnelli family at the helm of the club.

The event was held in front of 15,000 Juventus supporters at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. Conte was without a club and wore a Juventus shirt alongside other club legends. The crowd didn’t boo him, but the event was not attended by Juventus ultras, who will likely give Conte a hostile reception on Saturday, more than five years after his appointment as Inter coach.

Conte’s Napoli are the current Serie A leaders with nine points in four matches. Thiago Motta’s Juventus sit second alongside Inter and Torino with eight points.