Former striker Fernando Llorente has praised Antonio Conte as an "extraordinary" coach but revealed his one major regret from his time working with the Italian at Juventus. Llorente spent two years at the Bianconeri and won back-to-back Serie A titles, but it was their failure to deliver in the Champions League that haunts the Spaniard as he reflects on playing under Conte.

Llorente's time at Juventus

Llorente joined then-Italian champions Juventus from Athletic Club in 2013. Forming a partnership with Carlos Tevez, he featured in Conte’s famous 3-5-2 system as part of a two-man strike force. On the final matchday of the 2013-14 Champions’ League group stage, Juventus only needed a draw against Galatasaray but suffered a 1-0 defeat to an 85th-minute goal from Wesley Sneijder, which eliminated them from the competition. Despite the disappointment, Juventus went on to win the Scudetto with a record tally of 102 points, a mark that still stands in Serie A. With Conte leaving the following summer, Massimiliano Allegri took charge and guided Juventus to the 2014-15 Champions League final, eventually losing 3-1 to Barcelona.

AdvertisementAFPLlorente's regret

Llorente recalled his time at Juventus and the one great regret he carries from his spell in Turin, their Champions League group stage exit. He said to : “When I think about Conte's Juve, I have a huge regret: we were a great team, we were able to get a record number of points in the league, but in the Champions League we were incredibly unlucky. What a nightmare in Istanbul against Galatasaray: in that match they massacred us, they created the conditions for us to lose. Everything went wrong for us, but we were very strong and could truly achieve a dream bigger than ourselves.”

He then reflected on how he felt Conte’s Juventus was stronger on paper than Allegri’s side, adding: “I think we were even better than the following year, when we reached the final in Berlin. Personally, I remember the time with Conte more fondly: he's an extraordinary coach, he gets under your skin. With Allegri I struggled much more, but the two years in Turin are unforgettable.”

Conte's clash with De Bruyne

Conte, known for bringing the best out of players, is also regarded as a disciplinarian. This was evident when he substituted Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne in a top of the table clash with AC Milan, despite his team trailing 2-1. De Bruyne was visibly frustrated with the decision and exchanged angry words with Conte, who let him off with only a warning.

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Getty Images SportUpcoming challenges for Conte

Conte’s Napoli are set to host Genoa on Sunday, while Allegri’s Milan will face Igor Tudor’s Juventus on the same day.