Inter remain confident Antonio Conte will still be in charge next season, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Corriere dello Sport’s print edition said the club’s hierarchy were very appreciative of the job Conte had done since his appointment as head coach in 2019.
Conte has developed Inter’s team and turned them into Serie A title winners, so he is expected to still be in charge for the 2021-22 season.
What’s more, he still has one year left on his contract and this could be a decisive factor in keeping him with the Nerazzurri.
Despite this, Conte is locked in a stalemate with Inter president Steven Zhang and there is tension in the air as he awaits a face-to-face meeting.
Conte has returned to Turin and is waiting to be contacted by Zhang, which suggests the distance between the pair is growing rather than shrinking.
Inter’s directors explained the club’s plans for next season to Conte on Saturday, which involve cost-cutting and sales to make the club more financially stable.
The Nerazzurri will do everything to avoid selling more than one key player, which is expected to be either Lautaro Martinez or Alessandro Bastoni.
Conte wants to hear these plans directly from Zhang, while Inter’s management seemingly didn’t appreciate Cristian Stellini’s comments after Sunday’s win over Udinese (‘if you have a top coach you need a top project’).
However, that doesn’t mean Conte is destined to leave Inter.