Conte and Inter: Outbursts, a scudetto, a pact…

A car with tinted windows travels quickly towards Via della Liberazione, zigzagging through Milanese traffic. Inside is a man with the reputation of a winner with a long history in the enemy team. One who just under twenty years earlier, after having stolen the championship from his rivals on the last day, mocked the opposing team with the well-known “we’re enjoying it”.

conte-inter: the beginnings

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The Inter story of Antonio Conte, the man in that car, begins with a question: “Why me?”. He asked himself this in the presentation video: “Because we share the same ambition, courage, hunger and determination. Now it’s my turn, I’m Inter.” It was the summer of 2019. The world still didn’t know that a few months from now a pandemic would upset the world. Six and a half years later Antonio leads Napoli, champions of Italy. Last season they won the title, ahead of the Nerazzurri by one point. In Milan he experienced two intense years of trophies and barbs, great victories and also tensions. The argument with Lautaro after a substitution is famous, as is the outburst after the knockout in the Europa League final against Sevilla or the one against Borussia in the Champions League.

outbursts and trophies

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The first year is wrong. Conte finishes without trophies for the first time since his Juventus days. From 2011-12 to 2017-18 he had always collected at least one title. Inter, who started with six victories in the first six and thanks to the arrival of Lukaku with great fanfare for 75 million, finished second behind Juve and exited the Champions League groups. On 5 November 2019, after the comeback suffered by Borussia Dortmund, Conte attacked the managers live. Among them also Marotta, who had focused on Antonio in black and white: “There were programming errors made, some managers should also come on TV. How can I tell Barella and Sensi to give more? They are a group of players who, apart from Godin, haven’t won anything.” Phrases that clash with the declarations after Napoli-Inter this year: “I have never asked my managers to be dads”. But it’s not over. On 1 August, after seeing Juve win the title with two matchdays to spare in the midst of the pandemic, Conte vented again: “The players and I took shovelfuls of shit and I saw little protection from the club. You have to be strong on and off the pitch. I put my best foot forward, but no one is stupid: the lightning rod is made the first year, but persevering is diabolical.”

the villa bellini pact

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Finally, on August 21st, other arrows. After the knockout in the Europa League final, Conte went in front of the cameras with the second place medal and spoke as if he had already said goodbye: “Something has happened, we need to understand if there is the will to move forward. I’m taking two days, it’s been a very tough year. I have to understand if my priority is still football or my family. I have to understand how far my limit goes, based on some situations”. Appointment at Villa Bellini, Somma Lombardo, on August 25th. Zhang reassures him, Conte stays. Hakimi, Vidal, Darmian, Kolarov and the great return of Perisic from Bayern arrive. On 14 February 2021, after the usual outbursts – “when the boat is in a storm we all have to stay on top of it, without letting the coach or any player sink” – Inter are back in the lead. Fifteen useful results in a row from February to May: Inter are Italian champions. Among the most important victories, the one in the return derby also stands out (3-0). The only flaw? The exit from the Champions League groups for the second time in a row: only one victory in six games. Last place. Conte bids farewell to Inter after dedicating the scudetto to himself: “Work and sacrifice are the only weapon that I and the players can have.” It was May 21st. The farewell takes place five days later. The end of the Inter era.