“We can have a dream.” Antonio Conte was willing to grant his Inter players that much, after their astonishing second-half comeback overturned a two-goal deficit against AC Milan on Sunday.
Inter were run ragged by their rivals in a wretched opening 45 minutes, but four goals after the break sent them top of the Serie A table.
They only lead Juventus on goal difference, while Lazio are just one point behind. For the first time in years, Italy boasts Europe’s most compelling title race.
But while Conte has accepted that his players can cast an eye towards what would be Inter’s first
Scudetto in a decade, there won’t be any time for daydreaming.
The former Chelsea manager has projected his personality – restless, determined, confrontational – onto a team that was previously characterised by its penchant for the unpredictable, a trait that earned the nickname ‘Pazza Inter’ (Crazy Inter).
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Since his appointment last summer, Conte has set about building a project with one clear objective: winning trophies.
The coach made it clear that he knows what he wants, and he won’t settle for anything less – be that from his players, or the club hierarchy.
Romelu Lukaku was at the top of his summer wish list and was signed from Manchester United for a club record €80 million fee, while Diego Godin, Valentino Lazaro, Stefano Sensi, Nicolo Barella and Alexis Sanchez also arrived.
Inter forward Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring against rivals AC Milan (Getty Images)
Conte quickly identified the bad eggs in the squad, Mauro Icardi and Radja Nainggolan, and got rid of them.
Inter quickly adapted to his 3-5-2 formation, having previously played 4-3-3 under Luciano Spalletti, winning their opening six Serie A games of the season.
Things quickly looked promising, with Antonio Candreva looking a player transformed at wing-back, young defender Alessandro Bastoni showing great improvement, and Lukaku’s partnership with Lautaro Martinez becoming one of the deadliest on the continent.
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Something was bugging Conte, though. Despite spending more than €150m in the summer, he was unhappy with the squad depth, and those frustrations came to the fore after Inter threw away a two-goal lead to lose at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, a result that ultimately saw them knocked out at the group stage.
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