Time appears to be running out for Simone Inzaghi at Inter, who will almost certainly be out of a job by the summer if the team don’t pull off a remarkable run to the Champions League final.
According to reports in recent days, Inzaghi ‘needs a miracle’ in Europe if he is to remain at San Siro next season, and failure to qualify for next year’s edition of the competition will end in his sacking.
With just one win in their last five league outings, current form doesn’t make for good reading for Nerazzurri supporters.
With that in mind, here is a list of names being considered to inherit Inzaghi’s position according to Gazzetta dello Sport
Roberto De Zerbi
The preferred option would be the current Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi, who has exceeded expectations on the English south coast since taking over from Graham Potter in September.
Inter’s assistant sporting director Dario Baccin knows De Zerbi well from their time together at Palermo and already made contact with the ex-Sassuolo coach before eventually hiring Antonio Conte in 2019.
De Zerbi is contracted to Brighton until the summer of 2026, so the Nerazzurri will likely have to fork out a hefty compensation fee and fend off competition from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur if they are to retain De Zerbi’s services.
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte is already being linked with some of the top jobs in Italy after his Tottenham contract was terminated by mutual consent last Sunday evening.
The 53-year-old is a tried and tested option and Inter already know what they would be getting themselves in for by re-hiring the manager who won the club’s first Scudetto in 11 seasons at the end of 2020-21.
The question is, would Inter and Conte be ready to settle their differences that led to the coach’s departure from the Nerazzurri two years ago?
Given that Inter had to pay Conte a settlement of €14.5m last time they parted company, it is hard to see the club continuing spending in such a manner.
Thiago Motta
Perhaps one of the more affordable options on the market, Thiago Motta currently has just over a year left on his current contract with Bologna.
The up-and-coming 40-year-old has impressed during his spell with Bologna, who currently occupy the eighth position in the Serie A table.
Motta looks set to step up to a ‘big club’ when he does eventually decide to leave the dall’Ara and a move to Inter could suit both parties.
Diego Simeone
The ‘fantasy’ option according to Gazzetta. Simeone has long since been an admirer of Inter and has never hidden his interest in taking charge at San Siro.
His record in Europe whilst at Atletico has been exemplary, his defensive solidity would certainly be a bonus to Inter and ultimately, ‘El Cholo’ has proven himself to be a serial winner in Spain.
However, and despite his contract also expiring in 2024, Simeone is currently among the best paid coaches in world football, currently taking home around €22m per season. A bitter pill to swallow for any team on the planet.
Hi Peter,
May I ask what is your source when you wrote “Inter had to pay Conte a settlement of €14.5m last time they parted company”?
This is higher than his entire annual salary, while the estimated compensation sum was less than that.
Does this include compensation for his staff as well?