Romelu Lukaku reveals Serie A is ‘a totally different game’ to the Premier League and Chelsea, while Antonio Conte ‘showed me what it took to win’ at Inter.
The striker found the form of his life in Italy, scoring 64 goals and providing 16 assists in just 95 competitive games for the Nerazzurri.
That included winning the Serie A title and reaching the UEFA Europa League Final.
Now he has returned to England and Chelsea in a deal worth €115m, a new record for a sale from a Serie A club.
“I think going to Italy basically showed the world what I can do along with me playing with the national team of Belgium,” he told The Independent newspaper.
Lukaku was asked if he felt that he needed to leave England in order to truly flourish as a player.
“I think I had to. It was also a big part of my plan to try and experience different leagues. I experienced Serie A, which was a league I always wanted to play in at one point in my career.
“Going there, you deal with a different kind of pressure and in a different way. It was good. Maturity-wise it was knowing what it takes to win and the circumstances in which you need to do that.
“Obviously, I had Antonio Conte there as a manager who really helped me and showed me what it took to win, and we did it in the second season.
“As a player it’s a totally different game in Italy. Very, very tactical. Tight spaces and in most of the games you only get one chance, and if you don’t score it gets very difficult. So, efficiency-wise that was very important, and I also learnt to play more with my back to goal and other technical aspects of the game which are really important. It was a good experience.”
Conte is famous for pushing his players to the limits and Lukaku absolutely agrees that is the case.
“To learn how to win is basically pushing the barrier. Every trainer has a different way of coaching, but with Antonio we really learnt how to go to the red zone. That was it.
“In the second season we were much more consistent in winning big games. That made the difference against big opponents.
“As a player, the Italian game is so different. It’s so tactical and technical. You have to make the right run or movement to get another player free. We always had a lot of possession, so we were playing in the opposite half. Most of the time you were back to goal, and everything was going through me.
“I remember having a conversation with Conte about this and he told me if I wasn’t good at that, I wouldn’t play. For me that was an eye-opener. Once I mastered that aspect then for me everything became easier.
“The game would slow down, and I could control the game more and give more assists. That was really something I wanted to do and I wanted to experience that in another country, where I think it would be beneficial for the rest of my career.”
Conte must have also taught you to go where the money is !!
HAHA
Long gone are the days of Zanetti. A team of mercenaries. It’s no surprise that with Conte gone, there would be an Exodus. Inter – a team that wins something every 10 years and then clears the decks.