Inter manager Antonio Conte was formally presented to the media today and addressed the media alongside Inter chief executive Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Marotta.
Firstly he was asked why he chose to take up the position as Inter manager.
“It was easy to choose Inter because we share the same ambitions and the desire to win. The presence of Marotta was an incentive because he knows me. He knows my strengths and weaknesses.
“Inter has a great tradition and is one of the most important clubs in the world. It was easy to accept. I don’t set limits and I don’t want others to set themselves limits either.
“We know very well that in recent years there has been a huge gap with two teams, one above all, but there is also Napoli, which has shown with great work and seriousness that it can compete at excellent levels.
“We know we have to work better than others to fill the gap, but we must start with the ambition to give everything without having recriminations. Let’s see what happens.”
Conte was then asked how he believes he can make a difference at Inter.
“Inter has a good starting point to build something important from. I will certainly have to make an important contribution, as I think I have always done in my previous jobs.
“We have to talk little and work hard. I like to remember the motto ‘Head down and ride’, we must be good and fierce, focused on our goal which is to have and give stability.
“If we want to have an important season, we must have these characteristics as protagonists: ferocity, great desire to work and to question oneself, great spirit of sacrifice, with the desire and the obligation to go out every Sunday with the famous shirt. I will demand it from all the players and I am convinced they can do it.”
One journalist then asked Conte if he believes he is a coach who can get Inter an extra 10-15 points each season.
“You do not get anywhere if you have an ego. I don’t just presume things. We have to be a united and cohesive group. All together we can pick up more points.
“I will have to indicate this to the team and be very careful that they follow my commands. The road to success is not simple and it is made up of hard work, suffering and a lot of sweat.
“The players will have to follow this path if we want to think like we can be winners. If someone does not have victory on their mind then we must be very clear that there are other players but I trust this team very much.
“I am convinced that all together we can build something important. It will not be easy, we will have to work hard and when working you might not always be happy but we will have to be happy.
“This is a beautiful new adventure for me. I am back in football after a year without a new club. Inter is a club of great tradition and the trophies they’ve won make you understand the importance they have in the world. For me and us, trophies must be the extra incentive.”
The former Italian national team manager was then asked if this is his toughest challenge yet.
“No one here considers themselves a magician, but we will work a lot and we must do better than the others if we want to fill the gap as soon as possible. The gap exists but must not be an alibi or something that defines us.
“In my past experiences, at Juventus we started after two seventh places and we won the title, with Chelsea I came after a tenth place and we won the title. I think that with the national team we did something important.
“It must be known that to make the impossible possible there is so much work to do. On the market, on the field, on the mentality. What I can promise to the fans today is that we will give everything to build something important.”
This will be Conte’s first management position at club level in Italy since leaving Juventus and he refused to draw comparisons to his time with the Bianconeri.
“I do not think it is right to make comparisons with Juventus. They are very different situations. It is inevitable that from tomorrow we will start working and it will be very important for me to have the contact and the daily life with the players.
“We are starting with a good group of players who have twice qualified for the Champions League by finishing in fourth place.
“Today we must not set limits to ourselves. We will have to do our best, in every competition, starting with the goal that nothing is impossible. That must be clear in our minds. We will have to work with desire and desire to do something extraordinary. To do this you need good players and extraordinary men and we are looking for this.”
Conte was then asked what he wishes to achieve by the time his contract expires in 2022.
“The common goal with the club is to build something important. It is to put the foundations to return to being as competitive as Inter was a long time ago. This is the goal we all have.”
He was also asked what kind of reception he expects when he returns to the Allianz Stadium to face former employers Juventus.
“Certainly it will be a very important game because we are going to challenge the team that have won the title eight years running. The two matches with them will be important but there is another 36 games to be played to. If you want to be ambitious you don’t just focus on one or two games.
“You know my history very well and I wouldn’t want to bore you all by telling you it. You know my past and there will certainly be excitment in the run up to the game.
“I know full well though that I am an opponent and that Juventus will be an opponent for us throughout the season. We will have to be ready to fight.”
He then went on to speak about what he is expecting from his new players.
“I am looking for availability from my players, I look for players who think about the “we” and what the club thinks. As we said at the beginning we have the same vision and we found ourselves in many situations. The transfer window lasts until the beginning of September. I ask for availability from everyone. If someone is not on this wavelength, other choices will be made.”
A journalist then posed the question, how do you intend to make Inter ‘normal’ to which Conte responded: “I will take advantage of this question to praise Luciano Spalletti.
“He arrived at the team who had not been in the Champions League for years but he got them in the Champions League and has left me with a good base to work from. I wish to thank him for the work he has done and thanks to him and the player, we will play in the Champions League this season.
“The goal is to have more stability in order to be more regular. Inter have only qualified on the last day for the last two years but we need to raise the bar and get closer to who is in front of us and not look at those behind us. We have to find a way to bridge the gap.
“We will work to give the team an identiy. We will work on this because we want to make the fans proud.”
He was then asked if he plans to use a three-man defence as widely expected.
“So many times I started with an idea and then I changed ideas once I’ve learnt about the players. Looking at the squad the defensive department is very strong and I am not referring only to Godin, De Vrij or Skriniar. There is also D’Ambrosio, Ranocchia or Bastoni who would play as starters in any other team.
“We will start on a strong basis in that sector and with a three-man defense. We will see what situation we will face. I do not have a fixed idea. The important thing is that the principles and the idea of what we want to do remain. proactive football and that our fans are passionate about.”
Conte then spoke on Lautaro Martinez.
“He is a strong player who had an important season last season. He had an excellent Copa America.”
He was then asked how much of a say he had in the decision to exclude Mauro Icardi and Radja Nainggolan.
“I think the club has had the time to make the decisions. I have totally aligned myself with the will of the club because we have to be as one. ”
