Antonio Conte will have to rethink his ideas if he wants to take Inter forward in Europe, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Corriere dello Sport’s print edition warned that while ‘Contismo’ (Conte-ball) would allow the Nerazzurri to open a winning cycle in Serie A, it was a different story in the UEFA Champions League.
Inter produced highly impressive first-half performances against Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund during last season’s group stage, featuring some excellent passages of expansive football.
The Rome-based paper seemed to take no notice of those displays though, instead arguing: “Conte doesn’t have that European pedigree.
“He’s missing that final step, that style of play.
“Inter’s approach is enough to win the Scudetto, but when Conte moves outside the confines of Italy that won’t be sufficient anymore.”
CdS compared Conte to former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, who took the Bianconeri to two UEFA Champions League finals during his five-year stint in charge.
It remains to be seen whether Conte can find the right formula to help Inter make progress on the European stage, having finished bottom of their group this season below Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Inter recorded their lowest ever Serie A possession stats (30%) since Opta began collecting such data in 2004 during Wednesday’s 2-1 win at home to Sassuolo.
