Antonio Conte, with Beppe Marotta at his side, conducted his introductory press conference with Inter. The club's ambitions after hiring a top coach are clear, the nerazzurri will try to take a step forward. Here were the comments made by Conte during his introduction to the media:
"Deciding on Inter was easy, we found that we had the same vision. First I spoke with Marotta, then with the president and we share the ambition to rise again, knowing the difficulty that we will face. I find here a club with a great tradition, one of the best in the world. Are we ready to compete at higher levels? Nobody can place limits on us before we begin, I don't want excuses. We know that in the last few years there has been an enormous gap created by Juventus and even Napoli. To bridge the distance we must work harder than the others, with the ambition to give our best. We will see how it turns out."
Conte also commented on Marotta's words: "I thank the director, but we must have the top players on the pitch. I will find a good starting point, on which to build something important. I definitely must give an important contribution, like I believe I have always done in my past jobs. I know that I have a big responsibilty, I am ready to get involved, along with my players. This is the time to talk, we need to talk less and work harder. Head down and pedal, that will be our motto. We must be good and fierce to reattain stability. Every Sunday we must leave the pitch with sweat-soaked shirts. I must set the direction, the players must follow me if they have the ambition to think like winners. If someone doesn't feel that, it's clear they must step aside. On this viewpoint I must be very clear. I place a lot of faith in our players, together we can build something important."
Conte then commented on Juventus: "What reception do I expect in Turin? It will absoutely be an important match, we will go to face the eight-time champions. The two matches with them are important, but there are 36 others. If you want to be ambitious, you cannot think narrowly. Personally, there will be emotion entering the Satdium, everyone knows my history, my past. At the opening whistle it will be an opponent, however. Juventus will be an opponent to defeat and to try to overcome."
The coach discussed his lineup, on the question of a three or four-man defense: "I have changed my thoughts many times based on the characteristics of my players. Looking at the current squad, the thing that becomes apparent is the defensive corps. There's not only Godin, but players who are also starters. We will begin with a three-man defense, we will see after what we come against. I don't have a fixed philosophy, the principals are important. We want to play a proactive and high-intensity football."
Conte responded on the Icardi-Nainggolan situation: "I think the club have had time to think about it, we must all stand united."
