Antonio Conte is reportedly set to leave Inter Milan with the next 48 hours, just days after lifting the Scudetto with the Nerazzurri.
Conte guided Inter to their first Serie A title since 2010, finishing 12 points clear of rivals AC.
But incredibly, Gazzetta dello Sport say he is poised to leave his position at the San Siro following a dispute with Inter president Steven Zhang.
The row is said to revolve around the club’s dire financial situation. It’s said that Inter not only need to cut their wage bill by 20 per cent, they also need to raise £86.5 million through selling some of their Scudetto winning stars.
Antonio Conte will decide about his future in the next few days. 🔵🇮🇹
Inter want Conte to stay accepting some changes in the team – as they need to sell players for €80m.
Conte pretends a winning project, keeping the best/key players – or he’s gonna part ways with Inter soon.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 26, 2021
Antonio Conte’s future at Inter Milan is in doubt, with the club in financial difficulties. He could leave within 48 hours and if he does leave, Real Madrid will be interested.
(Source: AS/Gazzetta dello Sport) pic.twitter.com/BgX7Eu9Fbp
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 26, 2021
Conte is set to hold crunch talks with Zhang in the coming days and Inter could end up paying him a termination fee of around £5.2 million.
Earlier this month, Inter legend and current director Javier Zanetti acknowledged the club have “serious financial problems” and “it could take a couple of years to rediscover that balance”.
Former Milan and Juventus boss Max Allegri is the favourite to take the reins at Inter if Conte does depart.
Conte, meanwhile, dedicated Inter’s title triumph to himself after winning the Scudetto in his second season at the club.
“I put pressure on myself when I came to Inter, because I arrived at a team that hadn’t won, like the others, for nine years and had only watched at Juve,” Conte said, as per Football Italia.
“We worked and after a year of work we did something beautiful and incredible. It certainly wasn’t easy.
“Having won the Scudetto with Inter, having achieved this great result gives me great satisfaction. It makes me understand that seriousness, work and sacrifice are the only weapons I can have.
“We have all been very, very good: me, the players and the club.
“I dedicate it to myself, Because I know that in any case it has not been an easy path in these two years.
“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.”