Antonio Conte – Chelsea
Passion, intensity and fight are terms that can be used to describe Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. The Italian has the Blues on an unstoppable eight-match winning streak and sit first in the Premier League standings.
A successful midfielder at Serie A giants Juventus as a player, Conte’s time as manager of the Bianconeri is the stuff of legends. The Old Lady captured three consecutive league titles from 2011 to 2014. Players like Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal blossomed under his leadership.
Never too far from controversy as well, Conte’s antics on the sidelines and interactions with the media can see sparks fly. His reported involvement with match-fixing scandals in Italy have raised eyebrows as well.
Conte led the Italian national team at Euro 2016 before taking over Chelsea this season. The Azzurri were not truly expected to be a contender, but a quarter-final appearance certainly silenced many of Conte’s critics.
Often derided for his defensive approach to matches, his 3-4-3 formation at Chelsea has worked wonders this season. Their 5-0 victory over Everton in November certainly proved that Conte’s tactics will have space for a high-powered attack also.
The past few years have seen an enormous amount of success for Antonio Conte. In his first Premier League season, that success looks bound to continue in a major way.