Antonio Conte believes his title win with Inter is the most significant achievement in his career but is disappointed that the Nerazzurri suddenly changed their programs over the summer.
The Italian tactician discussed his first few months in charge of Tottenham in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
However, he also opened up about his time at Inter and the reason why he left the Nerazzurri after his second year in charge at the club.
“With time, people will understand the importance of the title I won at Inter after two years of extraordinary work,” he said.
“We broke down the hegemony of Juve, it was a tough job that ended with the joy for the title, but also the disappointment for the change of programs and expectations that led to the breakup.”
Conte admits he didn’t expect to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku only a few months after the end of his spell in Milan.
“Absolutely not, I didn’t think my time at Inter could finish. Ronaldo and Lukaku’s transfers were different but when you have the opportunity to return to the Premier League as a protagonist, it’s difficult to say no.
“Surely, their exit has made Italian football poorer. They are two stars.”
So, who is the favourite to win the Serie A title now?
“I am busy looking at the title race here in England, but right now, I think Serie A is a three-horse race, with Inter still involved,” said Conte.
Italy have failed to win their World Cup qualification group and will be forced to go through the play-offs to get a spot at Qatar 2022. What does Conte make of Italy’s struggles?
Conte reveals the first three things he must do to win at Tottenham and hints at Kane stay
“We surprise everybody by winning the Euros, including ourselves,” said Conte.
“Everything must work perfectly when you achieve these results. Some episodes were in our favour and when you become champion, you have to deal with a bigger pressure.
“There are more expectations and sometimes it happens that the ball hits the post and you don’t score. Or you miss two penalties with somebody like Jorginho, who usually never makes any mistake. Italy must rediscover the right alchemy, the rage, and hope stars will align again.
“Italy don’t have a top player like Lukaku or Kane in attack, but don’t criticise Immobile too much. To me, he is still crucial. The work he does for the team is often underestimated. He runs more than anyone else, he fights and runs into open spaces.”
Will Italy qualify for the World Cup?
“I hope so,” said Conte. “There is only one opponent to fear and that’s Portugal. They have plenty of quality players, not just Ronaldo. I am not too worried about the others, but with Portugal, it would be an even game.”
Nostra intervista a #Conte: "Ho rovesciato la monarchia Juve. Lo scudetto? È corsa a 3" https://t.co/GPgoGNJBfT
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) November 20, 2021
Things are never perfect or permanent, as a coach you need to understand this, you can never have your way, is he saying he cannot win except his Club spends vast amounts of money..?
A coach needs to adapt to changes, and needs to understand that you need to build your team from the ground up, not just go out and buy expensive players who will give you success, he will not last more than 2 seasons with Spurs, he will start complaining as usual, he is not even half as good as Ancelloti, but Ancelloti knows how to deal with every situation professionally without complaining, a coach must understand he needs to work and develop the capabilities of his players, inter did the smartest thing they had to do…..
@ Usman Yusuf, spotted on, you just hit the nail on it’s head… I’m not so much a conte fan as ancellotti but I have to admit that he is a hard-working and his impact is always felt at all the club he has managed except that he is not a modern, all round playing European manager… In that aspect Ancellotti best him miles ahead…
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Ofcos we know Conte is a manager that wants to win, and he wants conditions to always favour him in terms of the playing staff.
Breaking the hegemony of Juventus was so easy last year, because they were poor from the manager… Pirlo….and the team mirrored the manager… They didn’t even finish second.
Conte can work in Spurs, but for him to win the title there, 2 factors must favour them, which are,
1. Spurs spending money to close the gap between their playing staff to that of City, pool united, Chelsea.
2. These four teams would need to have a poor season for spurs to rise above them playing so well.
If not, Conte won’t win the title in Epl with spurs.
yup, Conte is another compensation hunter, after Mourinho.
While it is true that Inter broke Juve’s winning streak, I personally think it was Juve themselves who self destruct.. Of course, Inter’s scudetto is still commendable, but to be honest it was their title to lose, especially after Milan lost steam after Christmas.