Recently departed Tottenham Hotspur coach Antonio Conte would be Inter’s “dream” replacement for Simone Inzaghi if the current coach is to be sacked, but there are two other major names on their coaching shortlist.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who report that Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi and Bologna’s Thiago Motta are two other options, particularly if the team fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Whilst Conte only departed from Inter just under 24 months ago, the stars could be aligning for the 53-year-old former Juventus, Chelsea, and Italy boss to make a return.
Conte’s departure from Spurs was confirmed during the international break, bringing to an end a rocky tenure in North London, whilst the Nerazzurri could be on the brink of sacking current coach Inzaghi.
Whilst the former Lazio boss will not be shown the exit door immediately in reaction to Saturday’s loss to Fiorentina, the clock is ticking as he could be sacked within just over a week.
Conte would be the “dream” target for the Nerazzurri, although there would be two major obstacles to a return for the 53-year-old.
One would be the coach’s wages, as even if he were to earn far less than the €12 million net per season from his previous spell at the club, the fact remains that the Nerazzurri’s financial situation would make spending big on Conte’s salary difficult.
The second obstacle would be whether or not the recently-departed Tottenham coach would be willing to work within the tight financial constraints in the transfer market, or whether his demands for signings would make things untenable.
These financial concerns would make things particularly tough if Inter were to miss out on qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Accordingly, Bologna’s Motta would certainly be a more realistic option in the event that the Nerazzurri found themselves playing in the Europa League next season.
Meanwhile, Brighton’s De Zerbi is very much on Inter’s radar, and they have already met with Seagulls owner Tony Bloom who has made clear what it would take to hire the 43-year-old in terms of a release clause.