Antonio Conte has had a strained relationship at Inter Milan over the last 12 months, however, both parties have remained together this season and that looks set to pay dividends.
After 30 games this season, Inter were 11 points clear of their nearest rivals AC Milan. They are in with a big chance of claiming their first league championship success since 2010.
Conte is in his second year with Inter. His side finished second last season in Serie A, just one point behind Juventus. That was the Milan club’s best finish to a campaign in nine years.
Since arriving at the club in 2019, his first job following his sacking at Chelsea, the Italian manager has been supported financially by his board. Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Christian Eriksen, and Ashley Young have arrived from the Premier League.
The former Chelsea manager was handed a tough task as Juventus had dominated Italian football over the last decade. They have won the last nine Scudettos. They were strengthened in 2017 when they added Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the leading players in the world, from Real Madrid. That run of dominance may be set to end now.
Inter Odds-On To Claim League Title
Many bookmakers are now betting without Inter Milan this season. Defending champions Juventus are 33/1 in the football betting with Royal Panda on Serie A, for example. Those odds indicate their title chances may be slipping out of their hands.
Atalanta are next best in the betting at 50/1 with Royal Panda, while AC Milan can be backed at 66/1. Those clubs will need a lot of help from Inter Milan for those odds to shorten and to get back into the title mix.
One of the big reasons for Inter’s impressive run of results this season is the goals their leading talisman Lukaku has added. The Belgium international has scored 21 Series A goals. He trails Ronaldo in the top goalscorer charts by four and can be backed at 29/5 to win the Capocannoniere.
Conte May Have Secured His Future
As a result of his clashes with some of the board members, it was thought that the three-time Serie A winning manager would leave Inter this summer. He has often been very critical of how the club has been run off the field.
Despite his outbursts, Conte has said he is committed to his three-year contract with Inter. If he is able to lift the title at the end of the season, any friction between manager and board may be ironed out. Inter fans will want the Italian to remain with the club to try to build on his project.
Conte has had a lot of success through his career as a player and manager. He has won five league titles across two countries. His next target will be to prevail in a European competition. The best he has fared so far is runner-up in the Europa League. His Inter side were beaten in the final by Sevilla last season.
Expect Inter To Invest In Their Squad Again This Summer
Regardless of where they finish in the league championship this season, Inter are likely to splash the cash once again when the transfer window reopens. They have been linked with a number of big names stars, including Sergio Aguero, David De Gea, Mo Salah, and Erling Haaland.
Inter will be expecting Juventus to bounce back, while they will also want to fare better in the Champions League. They were eliminated in the group stage this season, finishing bottom in a group which included Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Signing players like Aguero, who have so much experience in the competition, should help them do that.
Conte will be hoping he can continue to improve Inter’s results. He is not only on course to win the Manager of the Season in Italy, but he also has repaired his reputation, to the point where he must be considered again as one of the best head coaches in Europe.
