Inter coach Antonio Conte has become 100% Interista despite his well-known Juventus history, at least in the eyes of legendary former Inter midfielder Youri Djorkaeff.
Conte took charge of Inter in the summer of 2019 and his appointment was met with some controversy from portions of the Inter supporters.
He seems to have won everybody over now after taking the Nerazzurri six points clear at the top of Serie A, with 12 games left.
“I like Conte, he is doing a great job,” Djorkaeff explained in an interview with Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’ll be honest, at first I struggled to imagine him on our bench, but over time he has fully learned the meaning of these colours.
“He hasn’t changed in terms of character, he has remained the same, making everyone understand that he had come to Milan with a mission and that was to win.
“OK, in the past he was a symbol of Juventus, but today it doesn’t matter, he is giving his all and is 100% Inter.”
The Frenchman, who played for Inter between 1996 and 1999, also sang the praises of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku, who has been in sensational form this season with him having scored 24 goals and tallied eight assists in 33 appearances.
“I’ve been following Lukaku for years, he has always been a team player, even in the national team,” Djorkaeff said.
“Intelligence is one of his qualities, he knows that work always pays off in the long term.
“He runs, fights, works hard even when Inter are out of possession and all this is fundamental for the group.
“If you have someone like this in front of you, it becomes easier for your teammates.
“Lukaku has never failed.
“Without a doubt, he is one of the 10 best strikers in Europe.”
During his three year stint with Inter, Djorkaeff, who turned 53 yesterday, made 127 appearances across all competitions, in which he scored 39 goals and provided 10 assists for his teammates.
