Inter Vice-President Javier Zanetti feels that he had a real chance to bond with Antonio Conte during the two years that the Italian was in charge of the Nerazzurri as coach.
Speaking to Gli Autogol, via Gazzetta.it, the Nerazzurri spoke about the friendship that formed with Conte, whilst he also named former Nerazzurri coaches Jose Mourinho and Gigi Simoni among the coaches he was closest to as a player.
Conte spent just two seasons in charge of Inter, but they were intense one.
The current Tottenham Hotspur and former Juventus, Italy, and Chelsea coach enjoyed a successful period at the Nerazzurri.
Partly, this owed to the coach’s close working relationship and chemistry not just with the squad, but also with the club directors and other staff.
Asked about coaches who he’s been particularly close to in his career, Zanetti replied “As a player I bonded a lot with Bielsa, Simoni, and Mourinho.”
“As a director, the years spent with Conte were very important,” he continued.
“A great bond was created between us, even between our families,” Zanetti explained.
“I would have gotten along with him very well as a player too,” he noted of Conte, “I would have gotten on well with his sense of work ethic.”
And asked about his greatest memories from football, Zanetti replied “The UEFA Cup final in Paris, and then Madrid [the Nerazzurri’s Champions League win during the 2009-10 treble season], for what it represents for the club.”
