[11][18][19] Although he was not the most naturally talented or skilful footballer from a technical standpoint (although he was able to improve in this area with time), Conte was a hard-working, consistent and intelligent player, with an innate ability to read the game, who was mainly known for his leadership, strong mentality, accurate tackling, stamina, and vision; these attributes, coupled with his solid first touch, work-rate, tenacity, and a tendency to make offensive runs into the area, enabled him to aid his team effectively both defensively and offensively, and gave him the ability to distribute the ball and start attacking moves after retrieving possession, as well as the capacity to turn defence into an attack.

On 13 March 2007, Conte was reinstated as Arezzo head coach as his predecessor Maurizio Sarri failed to gain any significant improvement with the club mired in a relegation struggle.

In June 2009, after weeks of rumours linking Conte to the vacant managerial role at Juventus, he agreed in principle for a contract extension to keep him at Bari for the new season.

[26] Shortly prior to Ranieri's termination, Conte had made public his ambition to be Juventus coach at some stage and was confident he was ready for the demands of the role.

[32][33] His first ten months as manager saw the club reach a number of landmarks such as, following a 5–0 win over rivals Fiorentina, equalling Fabio Capello's run of 28 unbeaten matches between November 2005 and May 2006.

[36][37][38] The club's strong and highly organised three-man back-line, which was predominantly composed of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli, was regarded to have played a large part in the title triumph, and only conceded 20 goals, finishing the league with the best defence in Italy.

Despite their dominance, Juventus' top goalscorers in the league were midfielder Arturo Vidal and forward Mirko Vučinić, both with just ten goals, making them joint 23rd in the goal-scoring chart.

[52] Although many fans and members of the media were initially critical of Conte's tactics and the level of the Italian squad chosen for the competition,[53] Italy opened the tournament with a promising 2–0 victory over the number-one ranked European team Belgium on 13 June.

[54] Following the win, Conte drew praise from the media for the team's unity, defensive strength, and for his tactical approach to the match, which impeded Belgium from creating many goalscoring opportunities.

[61] On 4 April 2016, it was confirmed Conte would officially become the new first-team head coach of English side Chelsea from the 2016–17 season[62][63] after signing a three-year contract, which would keep him at the club until 2019.

[68][69] On 12 May, Conte's Chelsea side defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0 away, with a late goal from substitute Michy Batshuayi, and secured the points required to win the 2016–17 Premier League title with two matches to spare.

[81] Following Atalanta's draw against Sassuolo on 2 May 2021, Inter were confirmed as Serie A champions for the first time in eleven years, ending Juventus' run of nine consecutive titles.

[105] On 5 June 2024, Conte was officially appointed as the head coach of Serie A side Napoli, signing a three-year contract with the club, which was activated on 1 July.

When I was a player, my efforts and work-rate, my willingness to sacrifice fitness and humility made up for my lack of pure talent but sometimes, if I didn't find a teammate next to me, I might lose the ball.

Defensive solidity has been highlighted as a hallmark of his sides, as well as the effective use of high and aggressive pressing in order to put pressure on opponents and win back the ball quickly.

[113][114][115][116][117][118][119][120] Conte's work in restoring Juventus to the top of Italian football won critical acclaim and earned him comparisons with José Mourinho, Marcello Lippi and Arrigo Sacchi,[121][122][123] primarily due to his obsession with tactics, his winning mentality and ability to foster great team spirit among his players.

He also demonstrated a notable tactical versatility and meticulousness as a coach, adopting several different formations in an attempt to find the most suitable system to match his players' skills.

[112][124][125] The resulting system was key to the club's success as the three-man midfield line-up, flanked by wingbacks, allowed veteran star Andrea Pirlo to function creatively as a deep-lying playmaker, with the younger and more dynamic Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio either supporting him defensively or contributing offensively by making attacking runs into the area.

Conte's use of heavy pressing high up on the pitch allowed his players to win back the ball quickly after losing it, and enabled Juventus to dominate possession during matches, which gave Pirlo more time to orchestrate the team's attacking moves.

[130] The organised back-line at Juventus formed by Chiellini, Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli proved to be a strong defensive line-up, as Juventus finished the 2011–12 Serie A season with the best defence in the league;[37] the three-man defence also allowed the central defender, Bonucci, to operate in a free role, and advance into midfield as a ball-playing centre-back, providing an additional creative outlet whenever Pirlo was heavily marked.

[131] Luca Marrone commented on Conte's demanding and meticulous approach as a coach, stating, "It takes time to accept the sheer amount of work he is asking of you.

[119] Although the level of talent in the Italian squad was initially criticised in the media,[53] Conte's tactics and Italy's solidity and organisation, from both a defensive and offensive standpoint, drew praise from pundits.

[137] In his first season as Chelsea manager, Conte started with a 4–1–4–1 formation, but after two comprehensive defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool early in the season, he changed the system to a fluid 3–4–2–1, with his trademark three-man defence consisting of David Luiz, César Azpilicueta, and Gary Cahill, two defensive-minded midfielders in N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matić, two wing-backs equally capable at also playing as wingers (Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso), and a three-man attack spearheaded by striker Diego Costa and crucially assisted by outside forwards Eden Hazard and Pedro or Willian.

Conte drew praise for his role in revitalising the team in the media,[141] with BBC pundit John Motson describing Chelsea's 5–0 home win against Everton on 5 November 2016 as the best 90-minute performance he had ever seen in the Premier League.

'"[153] In addition to his comparisons to José Mourinho, some commentators have also remarked on his managerial similarities to Sir Alex Ferguson,[154] using an anecdote from his final season as Juventus manager to illustrate his formidable temper.

[157] Prior to Euro 2012, Conte was accused of failure to report attempted match-fixing during his time as manager of Siena by ex-Siena player Filippo Carobbio, connected with the betting scandal of 2011–12.

[158] Conte's lawyer, Antonio De Rencis, reported his client strenuously denied the accusations,[159] and maintained he had no knowledge of any attempts to fix the matches in which he was involved.

[160] Conte took the advice of his lawyers and attempted to strike a plea bargain, which would have seen him served with a three-month ban and fine of €200,000, under Article 23 of Italian law without admission of guilt.

"[163] The Court confirmed the ten-month ban for the AlbinoLeffe match would be upheld as there was no way he could not have known of the actions of his assistant manager Cristian Stellini,[153] with the presiding judge adding that Conte was lucky not to have been handed a longer sentence.

[167] In May 2016, the preliminary hearing judge of the court of Cremona acquitted Conte of all charges in regard to his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal from the 2010–11 season, during his time with Siena in Serie B.