Youri Djorkaeff admits Antonio Conte has proven him wrong after he led Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years.
The Nerazzurri were crowned as champions yesterday for the first time since 2010, after Atalanta were held to a 1-1 draw away at Sassuolo.
Conte was not welcomed by everyone at Inter when he was appointed as head coach in 2019, with many reluctant to accept a Juventus legend in charge of the club.
Djorkaeff was one of the skeptics, but the former midfielder told Gazzetta.it today: “As an Interista, I struggled to imagine a Bianconeri symbol on our bench.
“Antonio has been brilliant though, he’s done exceptionally well to find the right way to enter the Inter world: he knew he had to be ‘true’, genuine.
“He understood that and now I congratulate him: he’s provided enthusiasm, strength and determination.
“He’s what was missing at Inter in the last few years.
“It’s been a long time that the fans have been waiting for the scudetto, and for the owners it represents an objective reached and also a new beginning.
“Inter, with the help of Suning, have gradually improved on the pitch and thanks to the coach they’ve found the perfect balance.”
Romelu Lukaku has been a decisive figure for Inter this season, scoring 21 goals in Serie A and acting as a talisman throughout the campaign.
Asked where the Belgian ranked in terms of European strikers at present, Djorkaeff argued: “He’s one of the best five strikers in the world.
“And I disagree with anyone who says he wouldn’t score as much in another team, like Bayern Munich: I think Lukaku would score a ton of goals there too!
“I’ve always liked Romelu, he has hunger and determination and he’s a great fighter.
“He’s often ‘at war’ on his own up front; he’s not just a formidable striker, he’s also a fabulous man to have in the dressing room.
“He’s the symbol of this scudetto for Inter.”
Djorkaeff also offered his thoughts on what Inter needed to do in order to make improvements in the UEFA Champions League, following their disappointing group stage exit in December.
“There’s a lot of things that need to be done for that to happen,” the Frenchman added.
“You need serenity off the pitch and great quality on it, that’s what all the big clubs have.
“In any case, let’s not forget you need patience and a lot of money to win the Champions League; think about Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool and how long they needed before achieving certain results.
“Time is necessary, although I understand it’s not so easy for fans to appreciate that.”
