Italy coach Antonio Conte paid tribute to former club Juventus at last night's Gran Gala del Calcio.
Conte was named Coach of the Year.
"It was a wonderful journey that then allowed me to become Coach of the Nazionale," said Conte after beating Roma's Rudi Garcia. Vincenzo Montella of Fiorentina was in third place.
"I owe everything to the players and the club. My rapport with Juve now? Normal. We'll try to visit them in the New Year, while this week we want to see Parma, Cesena and Sassuolo.
"Being the Italy Coach is a formative experience for me. I want to introduce a rapport of collaboration with the club Coaches. In my past I had seen something lacking in that and now I want to bridge those gaps.
"As only a few months ago I was on the other side, I know what the club Coaches want and the objective is to not keep the 20 Serie A clubs so distinct from the Nazionale. This is what Italian football and the Nazionale needs so everyone can be happier."
