Antonio Conte Named Inter Milan Manager After Luciano Spalletti's Dismissal

Inter Milan on Friday appointed Antonio Conte as their new manager.

News of the move came via the club's official Twitter account, with Conte stepping in to replace Luciano Spalletti at the San Siro:

According to Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also showed an interest in Conte, but he was keen to return to Italian football.

Conte has been out of management for a year, having previously been at Chelsea. In his two seasons with the Blues he won the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

The 49-year-old cemented his reputation as one of the best managers in the world during his time in Serie A, though, as he excelled when in charge of Juventus.

In three years with the Bianconeri, he won three Italian top-flight titles, kicking off the dominant spell Juventus are enjoying. They finished top of Serie A again in 2018-19, making it eight league wins in a row.

Conte will bring his trademark managerial style to Inter. Throughout his time as a coach, he has tended to favour a three-man defence and wing-backs, a setup that gives his teams organisation and tactical fluidity.

The former midfielder has also proved himself a tremendous motivator and a passionate figure on the sidelines, something that endears him to the fans of the team he's in charge of.

At Inter, he will take over a team of talented players who have failed to live up to their potential. Football journalist Gabriele Marcotti thinks the speculation regarding Conte has hindered the team's push for a UEFA Champions League berth:

ESPN FC's Andrew Cesare commented on what was an intriguing situation at the San Siro in the final weeks of the season:

It will be interesting to see how Conte's appointment goes down with the Inter fanbase given he is a legendary figure at rivals Juventus, having excelled as both a player and a manager in Turin.

Conte will have some big decisions to make, most notably what he will do with controversial forward Mauro Icardi after he was stripped of the Inter captaincy earlier this year. However, the Italian's pedigree in Serie A should ensure he is given total authority at a club that's long been in need of leadership.