Nedved: 'Conte like Lippi and Capello'

Juventus director Pavel Nedved hails Coach Antonio Conte ahead of the showdown with Napoli. “He’ll no doubt catch up with Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello.”

The tactician has only been on the Bianconeri bench for 18 months, but already won the Scudetto unbeaten, the Italian Super Cup and reached the Coppa Italia Final.

“Conte is a true star,” Nedved told Sky Sport Italia and the official Juventus website.

“I really like his way of thinking. He manages to get his humility across and that leads to successful results. A comparison with Lippi and Capello? His relative youth means that he hasn’t won as much as them as a Coach yet, but he’ll no doubt catch up with them. He’s one of the best.

“To become a top Coach you have to be able to get your ideas across to the players, to get your personality across. He knows how to do that, and when I go to the stadium and watch Juve play, I really enjoy myself.

“The side has strength of character, it presses the opposition, the players are always looking to score.”

Juve are six points clear at the top of the table and visit second-placed Napoli on Friday evening in a Scudetto showdown.

“It’s not going to be a match point in the title race,” insisted Nedved.

“There are still 11 games to go and there’s still everything to play for. Napoli have some excellent players, some world-class players, as well as an excellent Coach. They can win the Scudetto just as much as we can. The game will be important, but there’ll be a lot more games after it.

“Playing in such an atmosphere is the best any player could hope for and it’s exceptional to feel that first hand. The games at the San Paolo are always good ones and I always enjoy them, as a player before and now as a club official.

“During the 2006/07 season Juve and Napoli were both playing in Serie B and today they find themselves battling with each other for the Scudetto: that means that both clubs have worked exceptionally hard since then.”