Inter coach Antonio Conte reflected on his decision to take the helm at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and felt that it was a challenge he did not want to miss.

The former Juventus coach has led Inter to an 11 point lead at the top of Serie A with nine games remaining, as the Nerazzurri close in on a first Scudetto since 2010.

With Cagliari set to visit tomorrow morning, Conte urged his team not to become complacent as they seek to secure the title, whilst also insisting that his choice to take over at Inter was not an easy one.

“We must not leave room for the opponents because slip ups can give life to those who are chasing,” Conte declared in his pre-match press conference today, as reported by FCInterNews.it.

“I have chased and been in the lead. If you open up a lead and continue to win, those behind you will give up sooner or later.

“I think I have already said that coming to Inter was the most difficult choice I could have made, from all points of view, but I am not a person who lives on income and comfort. I like to challenge myself.

“I had, and continue to have, a lot to lose, but I have a strong head and I am ready to continue with force.”

Inter take on a struggling Cagliari side looking to drag themselves out of the relegation zone, whilst the coach will be reunited with midfielder Radja Nainggolan after his loan move to the Sardinians in January.

“Seeing Cagliari’s squad it was hard to believe they would be where they are in the table. We know it will be difficult game because Cagliari will want to give everything to rescue themselves. They started with other objectives but are in a poor position.

“It’s dangerous and I repeat, I’m surprised because they have a good and competitive squad. You’ll see tomorrow what kind of match we have prepared for.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of resting or not. We are in an important part of the season and for us it’s a third game in a week. I will try to make the best choices to field a competitive team looking for three points. There were hard-fought games against Bologna and Sassuolo, but the team is well-prepared and we will look for the win as best as possible.

“There are no regrets (with Nainggolan). As I have always said, I thank Radja for the period he was here but that is in the past. We will be very careful because last year he scored against us and we drew 1-1. Anyone who plays against a former team always puts extra effort in.”

Conte then addressed complaints that his team did not play attractive football on their way to success, arguing that it was too early to focus on the Champions League and he was only concentrating on ending Juventus’ nine years of domestic dominance.

“I think we need to think about the present and do something extraordinary in Italy, since only one team has won in nine years. We must continue to focus on this and so should those who talk about Inter. There is no point making futuristic speeches,” Conte continued.

“We have to think about the present knowing that we have the opportunity to do something exceptional, considering the past decade. We should emphasise and value what the boys are doing and not think about whether we will win the Champions League next year.

“In the meantime, I repeat that we have done nothing but restore credibility to Inter, who are now seen as an antagonist in Italy and Europe. Our final (defeat in the Europa League) was the greatest result in Europe for an Italian team in years.

“Having regained credibility, we just lack the last and most important step. Maybe afterwards I will speak. We hope it will happen but we know very well that disappointments can be around the corner. I have great experience to think about the present, eventually in the future we will talk of something extraordinary.

“We do not make proclamations. We have to remain quiet and keep pushing. I live in the present,” Conte concluded.

Inter are looking to secure an 11th consecutive Serie A victory when they face Cagliari at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza tomorrow.