sport news Gian Piero Ventrone was Antonio Conte's fitness guru who would spark fear in ... trends now
Gian Piero Ventrone was Antonio Conte's fitness guru with a fearsome reputation charged with turning the Italian's Juventus and Tottenham players into the fittest and most resilient in Europe.
Ventrone was dubbed The Marine when he worked at Juventus, where he would pump Ride of the Valkyries out of loud speakers as his players ran, and installed a 'bell of shame' to be tolled by the first to drop out.
This summer, his methods were brought back into the spotlight when, in 30-degree heat and 70 per cent humidity in Seoul, his trademark drill - 42 lengths of the pitch covered at a good lick with minimal recovery time - created a scene of devastation.
Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone (pictured left) has died suddenly from leukaemia
Ventrone was Antonio Conte 's fitness guru during his spells with Juventus and Tottenham
Son Heung-min celebrated with Ventrone after scoring his hat-trick against Leicester
World stars were reduced to trembling physical wrecks and England's captain Harry Kane was on his knees throwing up.
'That's pretty normal,' said Spurs defender Matt Doherty at the time.
'Even the week before in London was along those lines. I don't know if there will be any teams fitter than us.
'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.
'It's that determination the manager has instilled in us to keep going and never quit.'
With no Wagner operas to pump through the speakers in Seoul's World Cup Stadium, Ventrone urged local fans to cheer his players through the pain.
Once they finished and recovered enough energy to get back to their feet he gave them a cuddle, smile and word of encouragement.
During the summer, Tottenham players were left throwing up in Seoul after one tough drill
Players had to run 42 lengths of the pitch covered at a good lick with minimal recovery time
Conte, who came under his instruction as a player at Juventus, likes to joke that 62-year-old Ventrone has gone soft.
'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,' added Doherty.
'We've got so much respect for him that we do whatever he tells us to.'
Conte and Ventrone first worked together under Marcello Lippi at Juventus in the 1990s. His methods helped the Italian giants win the 1996 Champions League.
During that period the Old Lady also won Serie A in 1995, 1997 and 1998 and reached the Champions League final on two other occasions. They also lifted the European Super Cup, the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups.
Although, it later emerged that the club doctor at the time - Riccardo Agricola - was administering banned doping substances to the squad between 1994 and 1998. He was later convicted of sporting fraud by an Italian court but had it overturned in 2004.
