Inter President Steven Zhang insists Simone Inzaghi is the ‘easiest coach’ he’s been dealing with, while he’s never seen Antonio Conte smile and wouldn’t hire Pep Guardiola.
The Nerazzurri President released a lengthy interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the Champions League Final against Manchester City in Istanbul.
“To be honest, I had dreamed about it. Knowing the difference between leagues, I knew it would have been difficult to reach this target,” he admitted.
“Suning made huge investments, sometimes spending more than some English clubs. However, due to TV rights, the gap between Serie A and Premier League is enormous.
“Football is fascinating because money doesn’t always win and can be replaced by ideas, passion and competence. We hope this will be the case tomorrow.
“I am totally absorbed by Inter. I live this club with great intensity, but I never discuss technical aspects,” he continued.
“I respect every choice made by Inzaghi. As a president, I hate who wants to teach me how to run the club so I don’t make the same mistake with other roles.”
Talking about coaches, Zhang has worked with many of them during his spell as Inter President so he was asked to describe his rapport with all of them, starting from Stefano Pioli.
“Each one of them has taught me something. Pioli was the first coach I’ve worked with in my life. I wanted an Italian coach who knew the league well. I have a solid bond with Luciano Spalletti because he left a mark made by work, playing style and results bringing Inter back to the Champions League. A fundamental target. We had one of the best defences with him, and I understood the importance of great defences to win.
“Once Massimo Moratti told me: ‘Dear Steven, I made many errors during my presidency, only focusing on great strikers. When I started signing defenders I started winning.’ He mentioned Samuel. It was an important lesson.
“I always wanted to have Conte on the bench since the first day we bought Inter. He is a tough coach with a great personality,” continued Zhang.
“I think I’ve never seen him happy or smile. After a win, he would immediately think about the following game. He was never relaxed or satisfied, but that’s how he brought the title back to Inter after 10 years, ending a Juventus streak which seemed endless.
“Conte was the most difficult, Simone [Inzaghi] the simplest. He has great management qualities and great tranquillity. When we meet before games, I am more nervous than him. He was a gift to me.”
Zhang became the first foreign President to win Serie A in 2020-21 under Conte when the Nerazzurri won their first Scudetto in over a decade. The Italian tactician left the club by mutual agreement that same summer.
On Saturday, Inter will meet one of the best coaches in the history of the game, Pep Guardiola, wouldn’t it be fascinating to hire such a coach one day?
“He is a good coach, he’s won everywhere he’s been and it would certainly be a pleasure to work with him,” admitted Zhang.
“But I prefer working with coaches who have Serie A experience.
“I respect Manchester City, a great team, but we have the quality to face them,” added the Nerazzurri President.
“The more we’ve raised the bar, the better we’ve done these years. Inter do well against strong sides, but unfortunately, we threw away points against the others.
“I’ve thought many times about how winning a Champions League would be. Even just to dream it seemed impossible. Now we are in the Final and we want to try. We are united as Inzaghi said we have no fear, just excited waiting to play this game. We believe in it.”