Inter coach Antonio Conte has been compared to Nerazzurri treble winner Jose Mourinho for his efforts to deflect criticism away from the club and onto him.
The former Juventus coach yesterday hit out at critics over Inter’s perceived negative football in his pre-match press conference ahead of this evening’s Serie A match against Napoli, insisting that he could handle the attacks but wouldn’t accept them being directed at the team.
As reported in today’s newspaper edition of Corriere dello Sport, Conte’s approach evoked memories of Mourinho from his stint with the club between 2008 and 2010.
Conte has been praised for his single-minded focus on ensuring Inter don’t slip up in the title race, as they hold an 11-point lead with just eight games remaining, but also shown scant regard for critics as the Nerazzurri close in on the Scudetto.
Indeed, the newspaper has drawn comparisons with Mourinho’s style of building up external enemies in order to strengthen the mentality and focus of his squad, whilst also deflecting attention onto himself.
