Conte speaks out on lack of support

Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte said the club had failed to back him and his players in the face of criticism, and complained that some members of the club had jumped on the bandwagon.

“I don’t say the work of the players has been recognised and I don’t say my work has been recognised,” Conte said after his side won 2-0 at Atalanta on Saturday to finish the season in second place, one point behind champions Juventus.

“We all received very little protection from the club, absolutely zero.”

“We have to grow and improve in all areas, including off the field, and a big club should protect its players more. We’ll discuss it all at the end of the season — I have to meet the president [Steven Zhang] and he’s in China right now.”

Conte added: “I don’t like it when people jump on the bandwagon — they have to be there in the good times as well as the bad and here at Inter it wasn’t like that.”

It is not the first time Conte has publicly complained.

In November, he criticised poor planning, saying the squad was too small to challenge in both Serie A and the Champions League. The club responded with signings in the January transfer window.

Inter are still in the Europa League and face Getafe in a single-leg round of 16 tie. Conte said he would make his judgment after that campaign had finished.

“After the Europa League, we’ll make our judgments for next season.” —

We have to grow and improve in all areas, including off the field, and a big club should protect its players more