Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichsteiner has spoken about the differences between working under his former head coaches Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte, who will go head-to-head on Sunday e...
Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichsteiner has spoken about the differences between working under his former head coaches Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte, who will go head-to-head on Sunday evening for the Serie A clash between Milan and Napoli.
The Rossoneri will host the table-topping Napoli in an early-season thriller in San Siro on Sunday evening, which will bring a reunion on the dugout between Conte and Allegri for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Lichtsteiner: ‘Conte is more of a builder, Allegri more of a manager’
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of Napoli, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Lictsteiner spent three years playing under Conte at Juventus, and another four under Allegri after that, picking up seven consecutive Serie A titles during his time in Turin.
Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lichsteiner explained where the similarities between Conte and Allegri lie: “The obsession with winning. Antonio manifests it, Max hides it more, but they always know what they have to do to win. And they always find the key. Tactically, they’re very well prepared. They study football.”
And the differences between the two coaches?
“Conte is more of a builder, Allegri more of a manager. But I have read and heard so many different cliches about them both. They both have so many qualities.”
One cliche about Conte is that he makes his players train harder than anyone else.
“That’s only partially true,” Lichtsteiner responded. “We weren’t in the cups during our first year at Juve, so the training sessions were devastating. But we worked hard with Allegri, too.”
MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 23: AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri looks on during the Serie A match between AC Milan and US Cremonese at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The Pink Paper asked Lichsteiner if he feels that Conte is more of a ‘defensive’ manager compared to Allegri, and whether Allegri gives more creative freedom to his players.
“Conte works on the details a lot, he tells you what he wants and you have to do it, no discussion,” Lichtsteiner said.
“Allegri gives more freedom in the offensive phases, and you can talk to him a little more if you aren’t convinced by something. With Antonio, we were very prepared, knowing what was going to happen. During the game, he usually makes like-for-like changes, while Allegri can make a substitution that changes the game, also by changing the formation.
“Conte’s strength is his preparation for the match, and Max’s is the way he reads it from the bench. But they’re both good at everything.”
Which of the two coaches does Lichsteiner think is the stronger, defensively speaking?
“Both. They’re both rigid in an extreme way. They want to concede as little as possible, and their teams always have a sense of solidity.”
Category: General Sports
