Beppe Marotta has admitted Inter do not have a Plan B if Antonio Conte leaves because they are very keen for him to remain as head coach.
Inter secured their 19th Serie A title yesterday after Atalanta were held to a 1-1 draw away at Sassuolo, leaving the Nerazzurri 13 points clear at the top with four games left.
Conte’s future at the club remains uncertain due to the financial difficulties facing Inter and their owners Suning, but Marotta is clearly hoping the former Juventus boss will remain in place.
Asked if Inter had a back-up plan if Conte left, Inter’s chief executive told Radio Anch’io Lo Sport: “There is no Plan B, we (only) have Plan A because I really hope that Conte can continue this cycle with us.
“There’s a brilliant relationship between him, the club, the team and the fans and those are important ingredients to keep improving and to achieve more.”
Marotta won three Serie A titles with Conte at Juventus and now the pair have transferred their winning partnership over to Inter, who hadn’t won the league since 2010 before their arrival.
Asked what was the secret to the Nerazzurri’s success this season, Marotta explained: “Like with all victories, there is real dedication and a culture of work behind it.
“We have been making constant improvements since last season, when we finished a point behind Juventus and won the UEFA Europa League.
“This year, Conte has managed to embed those winning principles (into the team) which are the foundation of any success.
“Inter’s team is built in Conte’s image; every coach molds the team based on his own philosophy, which is a winning philosophy.
“We are extremely satisfied for an historic achievement.”
Marotta was also asked to clarify Inter’s corporate situation and what the future might hold for the club, with owners Suning thought to be seeking a new minority shareholder.
“We know we’re in a very difficult situation, there’s a contraction of revenues in football and this is affecting all the big clubs,” Marotta said.
“There will be less power to spend in the transfer market and we will need to confront ourselves on this, like all other clubs.
“We will be drawing up an analysis of this season but we will also need to think about the fact that our labour costs are stable while our revenue is not.
“We will listen to Conte and the directives from the owners, but there’s a healthy optimism here.
“I don’t want to reveal the owners’ plans because I don’t know what they are, but they are working for the good of Inter.
“The aim is to reach an agreement with a partner who can help provide the liquidity we need at the moment.
“There’s great optimism, but we mustn’t forget that the owners have invested around €700 million into the club in recent years and they deserve great respect for this.”
Marotta was also asked about Samir Handanovic’s future and Inter’s search to find a long-term successor in goal.
“We are always aiming to make careful adjustments to the team,” he added.
“Handanovic is our goalkeeper and captain but we also need to think about the future in every area of the team.”