Carrera: Conte molded me

Spartak Moscow manager and former Antonio Conte's assistant, Massimo Carrera has attributed his success today to the time he spent working with Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte during his time at Juventus and Italy National Team.

The 53-year-old Italian has nothing but respect for his former boss despite being mostly referred to as Former Conte's assistant: "It doesn't really upset me to be referred to as 'Antonio Conte's former assistant' or 'the second Conte,' as I have huge respect for Antonio, but let's say I'm not the second Conte: I'm the first Carrera," he said.

"I spent five years with Antonio working shoulder-to-shoulder -- three in Juventus and two in the Italy national team -- and I'm sincerely proud of this time. I should admit that everything I am now is thanks to him. How to train the team, how to communicate with your players, how to motivate them. He's a true mastermind in all of this, let alone his tactical awareness.

"Antonio talks to each of his players before every match, telling them everything about their opponents: how they move, how they defend, how they attack, what their distinctive features are.

"So, any of his players stepping onto the pitch knows everything; not just about his team and what he should do in this game, but also everything about the opponents and what they can expect from each of them -- from starters to substitutes. What I learned from Conte during this time is far more valuable to what I experienced working on my own in lower divisions."

One of the most important things Carrera learned, especially at Juventus, was how important a winning mentality is to making a good team great.

"It's actually the most difficult thing in football to make a team and instil the winning mentality in it," he said. "You can have a good set of players but that won't automatically win you titles. Any team can win a title. But to retain it and keep yourself at the very top for years to come is the hardest job in this game."