Inter CEO Beppe Marotta admitted that he was forced to make crucial decisions upon his arrival at the club, including hiring Antonio Conte as coach to replace Luciano Spalletti.

Marotta took on the role in December 2018 and dismissed Spalletti at the end of that season, bringing in Conte in a move that has seen Inter secure the Serie A title this season.

In an interview broadcast on Italian television channel Rai today, Marotta pointed to that change and the decision to offload former captain Icardi and bring in Romelu Lukaku as vital factors in their success.

“We have to guarantee maximum commitment, which means giving our all for new targets. The equation that those who spend the most wins doesn’t always work, but there is also the human and motivational factor that has great value,” Marotta claimed when asked about the changes.

“When I arrived, after getting to know the club I talked with the owner about a new project. We discussed it with Piero Ausilio and drew up a program with new choices and a new structure, since it was right to make changes.

“Conte was the great architect of this journey, together with the players who responded to his directions and the club that has supported them, All together we unexpectedly rejoiced for this Scudetto which arrived with four games to play. So it is also a small record and we are proud of it.”

Inter’s Scudetto success has led to fans hoping to see the Nerazzurri win the Champions League for the first time since 2010, but Marotta warned that Italian clubs were still far behind competitors across Europe.

“The gap, not only for Inter but with all the Italian clubs in Europe, is evident. It is no coincidence that the Champions League final this year is between two English teams (Chelsea and Manchester City), and Manchester United are in the Europa League. We are far from the performances of the early 2000s, we have to work and review our model.”

The Nerazzurri have faced financial trouble this season and President Steven Zhang recently asked players to take a wage cut.

“The phenomenon of COVID-19 has led to a significant drop in a business that is already difficult to sustain. Today our first goal is to reduce costs, with the salaries strongly affecting this, and then make the most of our resources,” Marotta added.