Antonio Conte rescued Inter’s season with a tactical switch following their Champions League defeat at home to Real Madrid, an Italian media report argued today.
Tuttosport’s print edition revealed the Nerazzurri’s players and staff had a face-to-face meeting in the dressing room after the limp 2-0 defeat against Zinedine Zidane’s men on November 25.
Conte’s side agreed upon ‘the Appiano Gentile pact’, which saw them abandon their attempt to play a more expansive brand of football in favour of a more pragmatic style.
The Turin-based paper explained: “The defeat to Real Madrid made it clear that Inter, by trying to play open football, were throwing away the chance to fight for the Serie A title in the year chosen by Juventus to open a new cycle by appointing Andrea Pirlo as head coach.
“In a bid to negotiate Inter’s Champions League group, Conte had adopted a more ‘European’ style and told his players to press higher up the pitch, but it was leaving chasms of space for opponents in behind.”
Inter kept clean sheets in seven of their next 15 league games, after managing just one in their first eight Serie A matches before the loss to Real Madrid at San Siro.
Only twice since then have Conte’s side conceded two goals in a game, and one of those came in a 6-2 thrashing against Crotone on January 3.
The Nerazzurri have gained six points on Juventus since Conte’s tactical switch, while also opening up a four-point lead over second-placed AC Milan at the top of the standings.
