Former Inter striker Alessandro Altobelli has criticised the decision to pay former coach Antonio Conte a large severance package following his departure, whilst hitting out at replacement Simone Inzaghi.
Despite leading the Nerazzurri to a first Serie A title since 2010, Conte left last week after a dispute with President Steven Zhang over cost cutting and the prospect of cashing in on key players that had earned the Scudetto.
Appearing as a guest on Italian radio station Radio Rai 2 earlier today, Altobelli argued that it was Conte’s decision to walk away from the club and therefore he was not entitled to a hefty severance pay off.
“I was very upset with Conte’s exit. They won’t have given him the right guarantees to stay, but I didn’t understand his resignation speech. He had a contract for another year, if he didn’t like the conditions he could have left but without asking for anything,” Altobelli claimed.
“He decides to leave and is granted a severance pay of €7.5 million. How do you give such a figure to someone who has decided to leave?
“When I left Inter I still had a year left on my contract, but I tore it up and left without expecting anything. The club saved a total of 3 billion lire, I can say that I left something for Inter.”
Conte is expected to be replaced by Inzaghi after he himself quit his role at Lazio last week, but appeared set to sign a new deal at the Stadio Olimpico before a change of heart amidst Inter’s interest.
“Simone did very well at Lazio in terms of entertainment and results, I’ve always liked his way of playing,” he continued.
“I didn’t like the fact that he found an agreement with [President Claudio] Lotito and then signed with Inter though. I like serious people who keep their word and I have to say that this thing didn’t go down very well with me.”
Altobelli joined Inter from Brescia in 1977 and scored 209 goals in 466 games and won the Serie A title, before departing for Juventus in 1988.
