Antonio Conte has become ‘a true Interista’, according to his former assistant coach Angelo Alessio.
Conte has put Inter on course to win their first Serie A title since way back in 2010, with the Nerazzurri 11 points clear of AC Milan at the top of the table.
His appointment as head coach in 2019 came as a surprise to some, given his famous past at Juventus both as a coach and a player.
But Alessio, who worked with Conte in Turin and at Chelsea, told Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week: “Antonio can be considered a true Interista now, because he’s an incredible professional.
“His history speaks clearly: when he works for a club he becomes their most ardent supporter.
“Think about when he coached Bari despite being from Lecce.
“You could say Conte has found the perfect chemistry with the Inter world, and their likely victory of the Scudetto is only confirmation of that.”
Conte is out of contract at Inter next summer and his future at the club remains uncertain, especially considering the speculation surrounding owners Suning.
Asked what he felt would happen to his former boss, Alessio argued: “Conte’s future will depend on results.
“Inter’s project is building constantly: let’s not forget that last season they finished second in Serie A and reached the UEFA Europa League final.
“He’ll win the Scudetto this season and then they’ll try and raise the bar again.
“As far as Conte’s fourth year at Inter is concerned (which would be the 2022-23 season, if he renews), we’ll see.
“Inter’s corporate situation will play a certain role too: if the owners keep supporting him 100% and the results keep arriving, why would he want to leave?”
Alessio was also asked about Inter’s attempt to appoint Conte and himself back in 2017, when the pair had just taken Chelsea to the Premier League title.
“We’d just won the league in England and there weren’t the conditions to leave,” he recalled.
“There was a certain contractual situation and we might have had to pay a fee to release ourselves.
“Everything was fine though, we stayed at Chelsea without any problems.”