Antonio Conte is at war with Inter Milan and he wants to win at all costs

Antonio Conte has broken all ties with Inter. For him this is now a war of nerves with President Steven Zhang and he wants to win at all costs. Inter have a two-year contract with him for around £10.8million a year and cannot afford to fire him. 

Antonio Conte is furious with Inter’s CEO, Giuseppe Marotta, and the club because he does not feel that he has been protected sufficiently in times of difficulty. 

Zhang backed Conte heavily in the market to bring him the players he demanded, splashing around £162million on the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen with a salary of £8.5million per year. 

So why is the relationship between Conte and Zhang so fractious? And what has happened to make Conte and Marotta fall out so spectacularly? Here are five key issues that are causing tension at Inter.

Antonio Conte is at war with Inter Milan, and he will go out to win at all costs

Relations with club president Steven Zhang are at an all-time low as another crisis looms

SPIES AT INTER 

‘I read a 2017 interview by [Luciano] Spalletti: he declared bad things that happened. Today we are in 2020 and things are not changing.’ 

During one of his last press conferences at Inter, former boss Spalletti criticised the environment of the club and the presence of some spies in the dressing room who reported to journalists the scandals inside the club and the quarrels between the players. 

Conte has been angered by leaks within the club, with a number of stories emerging

Italian reporters learnt of a dressing room bust up following the draw with Slavia Prague

Conte has always demanded privacy for all internal matters and has never been satisfied by the protection afforded to the dressing room.

Immediately after the draw with Slavia Prague in the first Champions League match there was a dispute between Lukaku and some players which was immediately reported by the Italian media, leaving Conte furious.

There are many who have taken offence to Conte’s fury, and Zhang would have been left strongly irritated precisely because of the quote from former coach Spalletti, who was fired 12 months ago.

AN ABSENT PRESIDENT 

Antonio Conte is very angry about the absence of Zhang in Milan. Conte has always asked for greater closeness from the Chinese businessman who has returned to China for about 90 days. 

Antonio Conte would have liked more calls and commitment but that has not arrived. At the end of the year, the two will hold a meeting and the fractured relationship between Conte and Zhang is an issue that must be resolved, but don’t hold your breath.

President Zhang is in China, to the frustration of Conte, who wants him to be closer to the club

The Chinese leadership represents a great political and economic weight in the East and West and Conte’s words have been judged to be detrimental to the public image of the Suning Family.

Zhang thinks he has always satisfied Conte with every market request and is very angry with his hostility.

PROBLEMS WITH MAROTTA AS ALLEGRI LOOMS 

Antonio Conte has never had a great diplomatic relationship with Marotta. The pair fought at Juventus for the failure to buy Juan Cuadrado and their relationship has worsened from there. 

Conte would not have taken kindly to the rumours about Inter’s possible interest in Max Allegri, who unlike the Inter boss, has a very strong friendship with Marotta.

Conte resents Marotta for not putting a stop to those rumours following a downturn in form in Serie A, and is seeking an apology which does not look forthcoming. 

Relations between the two men are at an all-time low, even non-existent, and after Conte’s fury the pair will probably only be in the presence of one another during the meeting with Zhang at the end of the year.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta and Conte have endured an icy relationship to date

Conte was unhappy with rumours linking Max Allegri to the Inter post during a poor run

THE CASE OF CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

The problems between the former Chelsea boss and the Inter chief hit a new low after the signing of Christian Eriksen in January, whom Conte was not keen on signing but a key target for Marotta. 

The Danish midfielder continues to disappoint and Conte’s 3-5-2 system has suffered as a result of the midfielder’s lacklustre displays.

The former Tottenham midfielder has not settled in Italian football, with the style of play far more defensive and tactical than he was accustomed to in the Premier League.  

Marotta was eager to sign Christian Eriksen, while Antonio Conte was against his signing

Conte has a huge problem to solve with Eriksen playing poorly despite the big money signing

Even in a 3-4-1-2, Eriksen looks a fish out of water, and with his highly-publicised arrival and wage of roughly £9million a year, he will fast become an unbearable burden for the club. 

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Danish midfielder is already beginning to doubt his Italian future. He still maintains the full support of the dressing room, however, but should his poor performances continue, his arrival will look like a gamble gone terribly wrong.

NO PROTECTION IN MARCELO BROZOVIC SAGA

Antonio Conte would have wanted more protection from the club and Marotta with regards to the Marcelo Brozovic saga. 

The Croatia international has endured problems away from the pitch, having quarrelled with nurses at a Milan hospital last week, as well as being pulled over by police for running a red traffic light in the middle of the night. 

Conte has been angered by the lack of protection from club chiefs regarding Marcelo Brozovic

The Croatian has had off-field problems which Conte feels may have upset the dressing room

Conte has viewed these incidents as a threat to the serenity of the dressing room, and has been angered by the lack of response from the club’s hierarchy with regard to Brozovic’s antics. 

The former Chelsea boss demands professionalism and a serious attitude from his players and wants the support of those above him at the most critical moments of the season. 

Brozovic is now on the market and Inter no longer wants to tolerate the problems of a player who appears to be in great mental pain at this moment in time.