Inter Milan Part Ways with Manager Luciano Spalletti After 2 Seasons

Inter Milan have confirmed manager Luciano Spalletti has left his role as manager after two seasons with the club. 

The Nerazzurri finished fourth in Serie A and qualified for next season's UEFA Champions League on the last day of the season, but Inter announced Spalletti's departure on Thursday:

The former AS Roma and Zenit St. Petersburg coach arrived at the San Siro in 2017 and is expected to be replaced by ex-Juventus and Italy boss Antonio Conte, per Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC.

Spalletti, 60, has left Inter despite guiding the club to successive top-four finishes in Serie A for the first time since 2010-11.

Journalist Siavoush Fallahi paid tribute to the Italian after his exit was confirmed:

Inter won 46 of their 90 matches under Spalletti and lost 20 times with him as coach. Per Transfermarkt, the 1.80 points per match he earned is worse than his record at Zenit or in either of his stints with Roma.

The Nerazurri also failed to progress past the UEFA Champions League group stage, which is sure to have disappointed the club's hierarchy. They posted an almost identical record as Group B runners-up and eventual finalists Tottenham Hotspur but missed out on away goals while Barcelona finished top.

Simon Stone of BBC Sport wrote earlier in May that Conte was expected to make his managerial return in Serie A, having yet to return to the sport since he left Chelsea's helm in the summer of 2018.

Sky Sport Italia's Fabrizio Romano reported his Inter appointment was expected prior to Saturday's UEFA Champions League final: 

Spalletti holds a reputation as one of Italy's best active managers, one who clinched back-to-back Coppa Italia titles with Roma in 2007 and 2008,  as well as winning the Russian Premier League on two occasions.