Inter coach Antonio Conte claimed that he was proud of the impact he had made at the club, as they moved 11 points clear at the top of Serie A with a 1-0 win over Cagliari.

A second half Matteo Darmian goal was enough to hand the hosts victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and extend their winning run to 11 matches, as they close in on a first Scudetto since 2010.

In an interview with Italian television broadcaster Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle, Conte sought to defend himself against critics and pointed to the improvement he had made at Inter since taking the helm in 2019, despite an early Champions League exit.

“”I am very happy with our path and what we did last year, which we must not forget. For a decade there was no achievement in Europe by Italian clubs, but within a year and a half Inter did something (reaching the Europa League Final last season),” Conte declared.

“I think the players deserve more praise, while I always read about their performance in Europe but we reached the Europa League Final and I don’t see any other Italians who have done better.

“We are doing something extraordinary in terms of timeframe. I was asked to achieve in three years, last year we came close to the Europa League, this year we are getting closer and I think we must be very happy. Maybe there are some who wished ill of Inter and me.”

The victory saw Inter continue their dominant form since the turn of the year and become the first team to win the first 11 matches of a second half of a season, with Conte admitting that results were more valuable as the season wore on.

“Every game won begins to be worth double. We know that the objective must be reached and the finish line must be crossed. Many athletes have collapsed one step away from the finish line.

“Today we faced a tough opponent who came here for the draw. I am very happy because the team are dealing with the situation of playing with pressure to remain in first and this does nothing but improve them.  I am very happy, they are showing an incredible mentality. Today they had everything to lose, it was not easy against Joao Pedro and [Leonardo] Pavoletti.

“Anyone who knows me well knows that I believe we will achieve in the end. I hope we will get there, the matches are becoming fewer and the goal is closer, but it must be reached.

“I think the criticism has triggered everyone’s desire for revenge. I read that the coach should be sacked and that the players were useless. There are still some bits missing, but we want to improve and I think we showed that today,” Conte added.

Inter were without Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal following knee surgery last month, but the coach revealed that it was just a precautionary measure.

“”He suffered a bit of discomfort in his knee and we preferred not to risk it. He was not with us in training but today he was with us in the changing room. We hope to have him available soon,” Conte concluded.