Nothing that was not logical – practically obvious – to expect. Eyes of fire, words of fire, chest out, pride in one’s work and one’s professionalism. Antonio Conte’s presentation in Naples respected the cliché. Many challenges within the mother challenge of lifting Naples from the depression of the last year. Or rather what the Rossoneri fans were also desperately looking for, who perhaps were not as disheartened as the Neapolitans but, in short, strongly desired a major shake-up. This is why, before Fonseca became official, the most coveted name by the Milan fans was precisely Conte. Bulgarian majority on the web, in bars and on the street.
list
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So the first question is: was there ever really a possibility that Antonio would take up residence in Milanello? More no than yes. So not an absolute no, because the former Italian coach had no preclusions in starting a conversation with the Devil. If anything, it was on the other side – via Aldo Rossi side – that the track never really took off. When examined, probably yes. But then she remained there like this, like a faulty little devil who can’t light a fire. To understand why, just go and watch or re-read the one man show of Conte in the last few hours. It is the clear representation of the reasons that have induced the owners and management to ring other bells. One man showprecisely. Such a long list of “I”, in the sense of I say, I do, I decide, I command. And, let’s be clear, there is nothing wrong with this. Every coach has the right to interpret the role as he sees fit and every club has the right to rely on the leadership he deems most suitable. The crux of the matter lies right here, and putting Conte and Fonseca side by side practically explains everything.
to centralize or share
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In his press conference, Antonio gave yet another lavish praise to Lukaku, who Milan likes a lot these days, and then responded to those who pointed out that Ibra had called him a manager: “Yes, I am a manager, I want to have a say and this can be annoying in other places”. A clear reference to Milan and its management structure (including Ibra obviously), and an equally clear jab. This is the central point. Milan in its evaluations for the post-Pioli era has immediately followed clear guidelines. One of which led to the search for a figure who could blend in easily with the rest of the club. Someone who would not centralize, but share. Ibra himself explained a couple of weeks ago: “Conte? We didn’t discuss it because the criteria we followed, with all due respect to him, were not what we were looking for”. Here.
that phrase of ibra
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It is no coincidence that in February, when Antonio’s name was not only being persistently associated with Milan, but also with Ibra, the Swede had decided to come out publicly: “Pioli is our coach and we are happy with him”. Regardless of how it ended, Zlatan’s phrase had two objectives: to allow Pioli to finish the season by making him feel the club’s closeness, and to free himself from the rumors that he was busy in various conversations with Conte. In those days, to those close to him, Ibra vigorously explained that he did not understand the genesis of that chatter, since his last contact with Antonio dated 2016. Whether or not there was contact between the two becomes irrelevant at this point given how it ended. Milan has remained faithful to its way of interpreting the corporate management of the sports area and Conte’s show yesterday is considered an exhaustive explanation of the reasons for the choices for the bench. A few months ago, the main reason for this was economic: Conte earns a lot, he demands a super market, etc. In reality, the main reason why the Devil has courted other profiles is another. And it is all contained in the one man show of yesterday.
