Tottenham’s much-loved fitness coach has Gian Piero Ventrone, 61, passed away – the club announced on Thursday morning.
Despite his gruelling fitness regimes, which turned Spurs into one of the fittest sides in the Premier League, Ventrone was loved and respected in north London. He was known as Antonio Conte’s “torturer in chief” at Spurs and “the Marine” at Juventus.
It was in Turin he first emerged in the footballing world, as a conditioning coach for Juventus in the early 1990s. It would have been here that he first met Conte – who was a star central midfielder for the Old Lady.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte’s much-loved Tottenham coach Gian Piero Ventrone dies suddenly aged 62
In Italy, Ventrone was renowned for blasting Ride of the Valkyries through speakers as Juve were put through their paces in his fitness sessions.
And should any of the players dare to drop out of his running sessions, they would be serenaded with the ‘bell of shame’ – which he had installed in the training ground. Ventrone’s methods were crucial to Juve winning the 1995/96 Champions League.
Marcello Lippi, who was Juve’s boss during their glory years, also called upon Ventrone to be part of his backroom staff during Italy’s triumphant 2006 World Cup campaign.
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Ventrone arrived at Spurs in November 2021 – and he made an instant impact on the squad.
Harry Kane was left throwing up after his infamous drill – 42 lengths of the pitch covered at speed with minimal recovery time – was performed in 30+ degree weather in Seoul. Kane threw up at the side of the pitch, while Son Heung-min collapsed.
Matt Doherty told the Daily Mail: “This is hard, the hardest pre-season I’ve had. It’s not like anything I’ve done before. But you get a great satisfaction once the session is over.”
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But the other side of the much-loved coach was quickly apparent as after the drill he was quick to greet each player with a warm smile and a congratulatory hug.
Doherty added: “It’s funny because normally when you have a fitness coach like that who is running you ragged you start to not like him — but we all absolutely love him! We’ve got so much respect for him that we do whatever he tells us to.”
Son shared this sentiment, and after struggling for goals this season, he was met with a warm hug from Ventrone after netting a hat-trick against Leicester last month.
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Ventrone was suddenly taken ill with leukaemia – and he travelled back to his native Naples for treatment.
Spurs announced their coach had died suddenly at the age of 61 on Thursday. In a statement, Spurs said: “He will be greatly missed by everyone at the Club and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this impossibly sad time.”
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