Inter Milan have lived up to their name this season. The Chinese-owned Italian giants have been something of a United Nations under former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.
It is fair to say it has been a success. The Milanese side finished runners-up to Juventus by a single point, the closest the Bianconeri have been run in the Serie A title race during the last nine seasons, each of which has ended with the trophy in Turin.
Juve have won the league by 17 points twice in that time, 11 points once and by nine points twice. The other three titles were won by four points, meaning Inter were a win closer than any other team in the last eight seasons.
It has been Inter’s highest finish since they finished second to city rivals AC Milan in the 2010-11 season, the last before Juventus began their unprecedented run of scudetti.
What’s more, they are still in the Europa League with the pressure off. Second place in Serie A has secured a return to the UEFA Champions League, a tournament that they have won three times – most recently in 2010 as part of the treble under Jose Mourinho.
Why Conte unhappy?
“I don’t think the work of the players has been recognized and I don’t think my work has been recognized,” he told the media following a 2-0 win over Atalanta that drew Serie A to a close.
“We all received very little protection from the club, absolutely zero,” Conte continued.
“We have to grow and improve in all areas, including off the field, and a big club should protect its players more,” the former Chelsea manager added.
“We’ll discuss it all at the end of the season – I have to meet the president and he’s in China right now.”
Inter are owned by China’s Suning Group, the electronics retail giant, and have been since 2016. Steven Zhang, son of Suning founder Zhang Jindong, is Inter’s president, a role he took in 2018.
The Suning-era at the San Siro has been tumultuous – Conte is the club’s fifth manager in four years – but this season has seemed like progress across all competitions.
Conte cut a forlorn figure following the season finale, with a cryptic rant against forces unknown – presumably figures in the boardroom.
“I don’t like it when people jump on the bandwagon – they have to be there in the good times as well as the bad and here at Inter it wasn’t like that, I’m sorry to say.”
The former Juventus and Italy midfielder has been critical of his board in the past, despite only being appointed last May following the 2018-19 season.
In November 2019, the subject of his fury was poor planning for the season, with the squad regarded as too small to put up a fight in the league and the UEFA Champions League, which Inter were still in until finishing third in Group F behind Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund to be sent to Europe’s second tier competition.
It was all a far cry from his statement to the media in July 2019 before he had managed his first game.
“Our owners are visionaries,” he told PP Sports. “Our owners are visionaries and that is very positive. They invested in Inter because they think it’s the right club to do something important in football, not just on a European level, but a global one.
“I see in the President [Steven Zhang] a young man, very open to building something long-lasting for Inter.”
Something soured along the way despite being on track for his own vision of Inter’s future.
“Our objective is to become competitive again. We know full well that in Italy there’s a team with strong foundations, which is Juventus. Behind Juventus, Napoli settled in, but Inter have an important history and tradition.
“It is our duty to bring Inter back where it belongs. It’ll take a little time, we can’t build a skyscraper in a few days, but we’ve started and want to do battle again.”
Squad depth
The board backed him in January by adding depth to the squad. They were players Conte knew well from his time in England, where he won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017.
Manchester United were raided for veteran winger turned full back Ashley Young and expensive misfit Alexis Sanchez.
The former England international Young came in as a wing back for Conte, impressing in Italy, while the Chilean Sanchez found the form that he had so regularly expressed in Arsenal colors before his ill-fated move to Manchester.
Sanchez was the club’s form player when the coronavirus pandemic hit and put football on pause, he picked that form right up when football resumed.
In addition, Christian Eriksen arrived from Spurs. The Danish midfielder joining the growing EPL contingent at the Guisseppe Meazza, which was led by megamoney signing Romelu Lukaku – another arrival from Manchester United.
The Belgian arrived last summer just after Conte and finished the season as top scorer with 30 goals in all competitions so far.
He can add more yet, of course, while Achraf Hakimi has joined for next season from Real Madrid via Borussia Dortmund.
European silverware is not out of the question after 2-0 against Spanish side Getafe on Wednesday night in the Europa League’s round of 16 in Germany.
But the question remains if winning the tournament will even be enough for Conte to keep his job or even persuade him to stay.
“After the Europa League, we’ll make our judgments for next season. I’ll make my judgments, the club will make theirs,” he told the press following that Atalanta win.
With everything still to play for this season and the strongest title challenge by any team in years, it remains unclear why the Nerazzurri boss is feeling the blues. It is as unclear whether he will be at the club come the new season.
Antonio Conte Photo: VCG
