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MILAN. — Antonio Conte quit as Inter Milan boss yesterday, just weeks after masterminding their first Serie A title win in nine years — with the Italian said to have grown frustrated with the club’s lack of financial resources.
Conte has enjoyed a superb two seasons with the Nerazzurri, culminating in their winning of the Scudetto this campaign, thereby ending Juventus’ nine-year dominance of Italian football.
He was reportedly hoping to spend big this summer in a bid to ensure the club retain their grip on the Scudetto, but the Nerazzurri are feeling the effects of the Covid pandemic and are being forced to cash in on a number of players.
Inter need to bring their wage budget down by 20 per cent, La Gazzatta dello Sport, with the club needing to sell a host of players — generating around £86.5m — in order to stay afloat, something that infuriated Conte after meeting chief Steven Zhang. A club confirmed Conte’s departure, thanking him for the ‘extraordinary job’ he had done during his time with the Serie A champions.
”FC Internazionale Milano announces that it has reached an agreement for the consensual termination of the contract with the coach Antonio Conte.
”The whole Club would like to thank Antonio for the extraordinary work he has done, which culminated in winning the nineteenth Scudetto. Antonio Conte will remain forever in the history of our Club.”
With the 51-year-old now available, it could spring Tottenham into action as chairman Daniel Levy attempts to land a big name to succeed Jose Mourinho after an underwhelming campaign.
The odds have now been slashed on Conte taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with SkyBet rating him at 7/4.
Levy has endured a struggle to appoint a new manager in the Spurs hot-seat, with Julian Nagelsmann, Hans Dieter-Flick, Erik ten Hag and Brendan Rodgers all turning down the Tottenham chief’s advances.
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a shock return to north London, although Conte’s previous success in England — in which he won the Premier League at Chelsea — could sway Levy, who is desperate for Spurs to end their barren spell without silverware.
Conte dedicated Inter’s Scudetto triumph to himself over the weekend after winning the Italian top flight by a huge 12 points.
”I dedicate it (the Scudetto) to myself. Because I know that in any case it has not been an easy path in these two years,” he said.
”I really had to get everything out of myself. There have also been times when I have doubted things and doubted myself.
”But we have been strong enough to go beyond everything. We have all been good, even me.
”I think it was the right end to an extraordinary year. Even today we played a beautiful game, we didn’t leave anything behind. —Mailonline.
Online Reporter