#47: Antonio Conte’s Dietary Regime Is Part Of His Winning Formula

Imagine playing football for Tottenham Hotspur, earning anywhere from £1,538 per week (Brandon Austin) to £200,000 per week (Harry Kane). Imagine doing so without having the faintest clue about what foods could prolong your performance.

Antonio Conte brought immediate results when he signed with the team in 2021. Believe it or not, one of the first changes he made was his players’ diet.

Conte’s coming meant the swift end of sandwiches, pizzas, chips, soft drinks, all foods cooked in oil and butter and all processed foods - including condiments like ketchup and mayo.

Fruit juices were also a no-no. Instead, players had to eat natural, whole fruit. This was the dietary regime he immediately imposed upon his players.

His rationale? That a ‘balanced diet’ is every athlete’s best route to peak fitness in the shortest time possible. A good diet, he furthered, could also maintain form for a greater span of time.

The proof is in the pudding. Conte’s squad currently sit in second place (undefeated), just one point behind league leaders Arsenal.

Conte’s dietary regime did not make its debut with Tottenham. Rather, it was imposed on all teams managed by the man. Juventus, Inter and Chelsea, to name a few.

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku was a whopping 104kg when he fell under Conte’s charge after transferring from Manchester United to Inter.

To fix Lukaku’s weight, Conte made him eat large portions of vegetables along with white meats (like chicken and turkey) on the regular.

Rather than focusing on the foods he was allowed to eat, a greater emphasis was placed on the foods Lukaku had to avoid: fried foods, processed dairy and alcohol.

Monstrous form followed that year, with Big Rom bagging 23 goals in his debut year while Inter finished the season in second place (one point behind Juventus, to my delight).

Speaking with ESPN, Conte (who was managing Chelsea FC at the time) said his dietary regime was a culmination of his experiences as a player. He maintained that the benefits of eating right don’t end with having a better game.

"Before the preseason we said that we wanted the right balance with carbohydrate, protein and fat.”

"At the end of my career I started to eat very well and I felt the benefit. For this reason when I started my new career as a coach I wanted to bring this idea to my players. I think it's a good solution because you don't ban anything - you just want to find the right balance.”

"It's important because [a good diet] can even help prevent injuries. Also, you recover faster. You become fresher mentally. I believe this because I tried it myself,” he said, adding that he still practices what he preaches.

"I prefer to avoid carbohydrates and to eat protein and vegetables. But when I stay with my family, my wife and daughter, it's spaghetti,” he concluded.

I guess one does not simply pry the ‘Italy’ out of an Italian’s heart. “I like pasta, but I try to avoid it because it has a lot of carbohydrates.”