Inter coach Antonio Conte may be key in stopping the Nerazzurri experiencing their famous winter curse, according to a report in today’s paper edition of the Rome based newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
The report details how, since the 2012/13 season, the Nerazzurri have experienced significant difficulties following on from the winter break, with coaches from Andrea Stramaccioni to Luciano Spalletti all experiencing struggles at the start of a new calendar year. The only exception to this curse was the 2016/17 season, although the drop-in form had come slightly earlier in the season.
There have been multiple explanations for the curse, the report highlights. These include a holiday period that ended too close to the resumption of the league, management being too soft, a turbulent locker room and a chronic lack of strong personalities in the squad.
However, Conte is aware of this curse, the report adds. If the 50-year-old Italian can start 2020 in the same way that he ended 2019, the Nerazzurri can continue their fight for the Scudetto against Juventus up until the end of the season.
