Ex-Juventus defender admits ‘the wound is still there’ after Allegri snub in 2017
Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner admits that ‘the wound is still there’ with Allegri after a falling out in 2017, and has explained what made Antonio Conte a more enjoyable coach to work under during his time in Turin.
Lichtsteiner, who was appointed head coach of Basel in January, spoke in an in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Thursday.
Lichtsteiner on positives with Conte and negatives with Allegri at Juventus
Lichtsteiner spoke in-depth about the lessons he learned during his time working under Conte, but revealed that he is still ‘disappointed’ after being left off Juventus’s Champions League squad list by Allegri in 2017-18.
“So many memories come to mind,” Lichtsteiner said when recalling his relationship with Conte.
“I think of all the training sessions spent working on the same plays. Antonio was sure from day one that we’d win it. He’s someone who teaches you that winning is the only thing that matters. And I will take that with me forever. He does everything he can to make you win.
“He taught me, more than anything else, to be mean on the pitch. I was a different person when I played. I knew that the referees couldn’t take to me much, or the coaches. I didn’t talk to anyone, I wasn’t an easy guy to manage.”
However, Lichtsteiner doesn’t have the same fondness when looking back on his time with Allegri.
He says that he is particularly disappointed by the fact that the aforementioned Champions League snub was a result of ‘personal issues’ rather than playing quality.
“That was something that hurt and is a wound that is still there. Especially because it had to do with personal issues and nothing on the pitch. I remember that Allegri called me. There was disappointment. In hindsight, I’m happy that I was included in January.”