Antonio Conte leaves the door open for a possible return to the Italy dug-out but insists Inter are ‘the greatest challenge’ of his career.
“Juventus have created a big gap over the years, but Inter aim to win for a year and a half. Other opponents have improved too. We are doing the same thanks to hard work,” Conte told Il Corriere Della Sera.
“We’ve been changing continuously. We started with a 3-5-2 system and then we became more aggressive. We finished as runner-ups in Serie A last season and we reached the Europa League final.
“Rangnick complimented me, saying: ‘I like Inter, I think it’s a sophisticated team.’ People often talk about a simple football, but you notice that there is an idea.
“We started that way, aggressive. Maybe we exaggerated and our opponents found the countermeasures.
“We have found a balance with a good mix of aggression and waiting: we have become more compact, when we attack we hurt,” he continued.
“I always tell my players they must be pessimistic when they attack. The optimist is the one who thinks he won’t lose the ball and doesn’t get ready. The pessimist does, he plans more.
“It takes an outstanding balance. For me, the maximum is to attack with 5-6 players: Hakimi and Perisic, plus Eriksen who’s an attacking midfielder and Barella.
“In the first part of the championship, we created a lot, but we were a bit exposed, and we conceded too many goals: now there is a good balance and everyone participates in the two phases.
“When people talk about me, there is always a ‘but’. They say: ‘He is a good coach, but…’. That ‘but’ stimulates me. Football is my passion, I like to watch coaches who have ideas.
“I took inspiration from non-professional coaches rather than those who studied at Coverciano.
“When I ended my career as a footballer, I started from the beginning with Arezzo. I had won everything as a footballer. Coach Conte had started from zero. Those who played in big clubs think they can be coaches, but it’s different.
“I’m more prepared thanks to my experiences. I was advised not to join Inter, but I like challenges, and this one is the most difficult in my career.”
How about the National team? Is that a closed chapter?
“Absolutely no, it gives me goosebumps to think about the national team. My door will always be open to Italy.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com