Antonio Conte: "We want to make our fans proud"

MILAN – Just a few hours before Inter’s training camp in Lugano, something which will officially kick off the Nerazzurri’s 2019/2020 campaign, Antonio Conte held his first press conference of the season at Inter’s HQ together with the Club’s CEO Sport Giuseppe Marotta. This is what the Nerazzurri’s Coach had to say:

"Choosing Inter was easy, I’m at one of the most important Clubs in the world and we immediately found that the same vision was there," the tactician underlined. "Sharing these ambitions was very important for me, despite knowing that a path of hard work and sweat awaits us. Objectives? I never set limits – I don’t want to create excuses. We know that we’ll have to put in the hard work and also work better than the others in order to bridge the gap that has formed in recent years. Giving our very best needs to be our basis so that there aren't any recriminations, then we’ll see what happens. This is a fantastic adventure, one which allows me to return as a coach after a year out and work for a Club with a great tradition.

"An important basis is there, and it’ll be up to me to make a significant contribution – as I’ve done previously," the Coach continued. "I know that I have a lot of responsibility towards the people who chose me, the Club and the fans. This is something that I’ll share with my players, we need to do little talking and put in the hard work. 'Head down and go' must be our motto. We need to focus on our goal so as to guarantee stability. Only by working altogether can we pick up many more points than we did in previous seasons. I don’t have a magic wand but it’s up to me to show the way, and it’ll be important for everyone to follow this path. A spirit of sacrifice, ferocity, passion and a great desire to work hard will be required if we want to have a season where we’re one of the key players, as is our intention. If someone doesn’t share this kind of ambition, it’s only right that they step aside. I have a lot of confidence in our squad and the abilities of our players. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Luciano Spalletti for his work – a contribution that has led Inter back to the most important European competition for two consecutive seasons. If we have the chance to play Champions League football next season then it’s also thanks to him. We must be ready to sweat and pursue the goal of excellence. It won’t be easy but we want to be competitive once again, as was the case a few years ago.

"When I arrived at Juventus, the club had finished seventh for two years running, while Chelsea had just finished the season in tenth place. However, it’s not right to make comparisons with the past because every experience is different. The important thing is not to place limits on ourselves in any competition. Even if we only have one per cent of winning then we must work with this percentage. For the impossible to become possible we must work extremely hard, on all aspects. What I can promise to the fans today is that we will give our all in trying to build something important, something that reflects Inter and gives the fans something to be proud of. As of tomorrow, we’ll start working and it’ll be important to start getting to know these players right away, transmitting the right feelings. To achieve something extraordinary then we’ll need extraordinary individuals – players that think about ‘us’ before themselves. This is what we’re looking for."

Lastly, he discussed tactics: "Often I’ve started with a certain idea and then changed it once I’ve got to know the players better," Conte concluded. "We want to play attacking football with high intensity, football that excites our fans. Head, heart and legs – these are the three pillars that have always accompanied my journey. I think that we can now add passion, which will be the fourth element that’ll guide us on this adventure."