Did Juventus provoke Antonio Conte’s middle finger gesture?
The drama is still unfolding in the aftermath of Juventus‘ 0-0 draw with Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals, which sealed Juve’s advancement to the final of the competition and their bitter derby rivals’ elimination.
But the biggest story has little to do with football and more to do with the actions of former Juventus manager Antonio Conte, who was seen flipping the bird at Juve’s directors at the stroke of half-time while walking into the tunnel.
Andrea Agnelli had his own words for Conte afteward, responding to Conte claiming that it was Juventus who needed to show more respect.
Now, a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, via SempreInter.com’s Cammy Anderson, states that Antonio Conte received “continuous insults” from Juventus players and even management during the match. The report states that Conte used the middle finger gesture at Juve’s directors in response to these provocations.
Antonio Conte’s legacy with Juventus is fading
There’s no way to know what was said or what happened, but it’s clear that a manager should not behave in this manner, even in a derby match against his former club. In fact, that Conte is a former Juventus legend and manager makes this situation an even bigger disgrace on his part.
In the end, Conte can rage, but his team is slipping, and he was ousted from the cup by Juve. Inter and its coach and rant and rave, but even fans of the club have to see that Conte is spiraling. The writing may be on the wall for the manager if the club does not win Serie A, and their grip on third over Juventus is not exactly strong. Meanwhile, the gulf between themselves and Milan could widen if Conte is not careful.
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Furthermore, if Conte is not careful, his actions could create an asterisk as far as his legacy with the Bianconeri is concerned. He has behaved quite petulantly recently. Conte has always been known for his temper and for speaking his mind, but his actions have fallen below the standards he seems to expect from himself and others.