On Wednesday night, Tottenham Hotspur will make their long-awaited return to the Champions League by hosting Olympique Marseille in the English capital.
This meeting will be marked by a battle on the bench between two friends and former Juventus teammates, Antonio Conte and Igor Tudor.
The two men played side by side in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Italian used to operate in midfield, while the Croatian served at the heart of defence.
For his part, Conte revealed his happiness at seeing his former teammate in a prestigious management position.
“I am very happy to see him on the bench at a major club in Europe like Marseille,” the former Juventus manager said in an interview with Spurs TV via Corriere dello Sport.
“He did very well last season in Verona, and yes, he is doing a very good job at the moment. I wish him the best, apart from these two games against us.
“I have known him for a long time. Igor is a really good guy, a determined person. Also, as a player, he was very strong.
“The last time I saw him was when he was assistant coach at Juventus with Andrea Pirlo. He is a good friend of mine. Sometimes we text each other on the phone.”
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These two men have a lot in common. As well as representing Juventus during their playing days, they both held managerial positions in Turin.
But while Conte might prefer to keep the chapter closed, perhaps Tudor represents the future, especially if he continues to do well elsewhere.
The Croatian acted as assistant manager during Andrea Pirlo’s sole campaign, but would arguably have been a better fit than the young Italian for the lead role.
