Inter Milan

Inter Milan sporting director Giuseppe Marotta has said star forward Lautaro Martinez controls his own future, amid rumours Barcelona are strongly interested in the Argentinian.

Per AS, Marotta stated Martinez is happy in the Italian fashion capital, but if he wanted to leave, the club would negotiate: "We are Inter Milan and we don't have to sell anybody. That said, the future of a player is in their heads. If Lautaro wants to continue with us, we are happy with that. At this moment, he is with us and we are happy. If he wants to take a different path, we will weigh up the situation."

The Blaugrana have been extensively linked with the 22-year-old and have made no secret of their admiration. Manager Ernesto Valverde praised Martinez ahead of Tuesday's 2-1 win at the San Siro, per Sacha Pisani of Goal, and club director Eric Abidal did the same last month, adding they are monitoring him, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Italia).

Martinez's agent has confirmed Barcelona's interest, per Ole (h/t Pisani).

The mobile forward is having a breakout season with Inter, scoring five goals in the Champions League and eight in Serie A. He's been likened to Luis Suarez, and Ben Hayward of the London Evening Standard explained why the Catalans are looking at a replacement for the Uruguay international:

Luis Suárez hasn't scored away from home in Champions League since September 2015. Despite the golazos, he's far less effective now at highest level. And tonight he meets the man who could replace him: Lautaro Martínez #InterBarça https://t.co/Dgy5bzJLoX

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) December 10, 2019

Martinez bagged a goal at the Camp Nou in the first meeting of the two teams this season, and while he didn't find the net on Tuesday, he still impressed. He could have scored several goals, with the offside flag denying him, and assisted Romelu Lukaku for Inter's equaliser.

The lead-up to the Belgian's goal showed just how versatile Martinez is, per EiF:

And it really isn’t Todibo’s fault, at all. It’s just brilliant holdup play. Sometimes you tip your hat to brilliance.

That was one of those moments.

— EiF (@EiFSoccer) December 10, 2019

Like Suarez, Martinez contributes far more than just goals. He is a mobile, technically adept forward who can play in space and split out wide, or pick his spot in the box as a sniper.

He already has experience playing alongside Lionel Messi for the national team and is only starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

Per AS, there is a clause in his contract that will make him available for €111 million for two weeks in July. That gives Barcelona plenty of time to continue evaluating him ahead of a possible summer move.    

Romelu Lukaku's agent said the Belgium international had no major problems at Manchester United but desired a new challenge in a different league.

The striker fell down the pecking order at Old Trafford last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was sold by the Red Devils to Inter Milan in the summer.

However, Federico Pastorello said his client was "happy" playing under Solskjaer and that the opportunity to move to Serie A was the deciding factor, per Sky Sports.

"The relationship with Ole was good at the end. There were maybe some issues tactically because he is a number nine striker and sometimes the coach preferred another amazing player in [Marcus] Rashford.

"The move was not really linked to some particular issue at Manchester United, but really to try a new experience.

"He was happy at Manchester United. He liked the fans a lot and United are in the top three or four clubs in the world.

"To play for them was amazing and he was happy about that, but I think he wanted to prove himself in another championship and he needed another challenge."

The dismissal of Jose Mourinho as United boss in December 2018 had a profound effect on Lukaku's standing at Old Trafford, and Solskjaer's arrival changed the stylistic principles of the starting XI.

The Norwegian favoured a fluid attack, with three raiding forwards who could interchange during counter-attacks, and Lukaku's game could not be utilised.

United chose to give Anthony Martial the No. 9 shirt he lost in 2016 to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Lukaku was shown the Old Trafford exit after failing to impress from the bench.

In his final season at United, Lukaku scored 12 goals in 32 Premier League appearances but was forced to rise off the bench 10 times.

Lukaku has thrived at Inter under the guidance of Antonio Conte, and the Belgian has impressed in a 3-5-2 system partnering Lautaro Martinez.

Lukaku has netted 10 Serie A goals in 15 games and promises to further expand his numbers as the first-choice striker.

Inter are two points clear of Italian champions Juventus, and Conte continues to weave the first-season magic he previously displayed at Juve and Chelsea.

Conte captured the Italian title with the Old Lady in 2011-12, going on to win Serie A three consecutive times, and then won the Premier League in his first attempt during 2016-17.    

Slavia Prague have rejected Romelu Lukaku's accusation the crowd at the club's Sinobo Stadium racially abused him during their UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan on Wednesday, demanding an apology from the Belgian striker.

Lukaku said he heard chants from the entire stadium after Lautaro Martinez scored in the 3-1 win. While the Czech club acknowledged it had apologised for the behavior of some "individuals," it argued Lukaku's wording was inaccurate:

We must reject that there has been racist chanting of the whole stadium. We analysed available footages, and none confirmed Mr Lukaku’s statement. The club has already apologised for individuals’ behaviour and it would be appropriate for Mr Lukaku to apologise for his words too. https://t.co/6luusPP1tC

— SK Slavia Prague EN (@slavia_eng) November 29, 2019

Sport Witness questioned the club's claim they apologised in the aftermath of Lukaku's accusation:

Where's this apology from you? Because it doesn't seem to be on either your English or Czech website or Twitter. Yet demanding Lukaku apologise is across both languages.

Not a great look.

— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) November 29, 2019

Lukaku played a crucial role in the win, scoring once and assisting both of Martinez's goals. He showed off his tremendous footwork by the team's third and final goal (U.S. viewers only):

https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1200441690315730944

The win moved Inter into second place in Group F and knocked Slavia out of European contention. Slavia's last outing will be against Borussia Dortmund, who are vying with the Nerazzurri for second place in the group.

Lukaku has been the target of racist chants on several occasions this season, including in a Serie A match against Cagliari in September. A group of Inter fans came to the defence of the Calgiari fans in the aftermath, per Football Italia.

Per BBC Sport, Italian pundit Luciano Passirani was banned from appearing on the TV show Qui Studio a Voi Stadio in mid-September for saying opponents should give the 26-year-old "10 bananas to eat" in order to stop him.

Serie A committed to fighting racist abuse on Friday, publishing an open letter backed by all clubs:

Together with the 20 Serie A TIM clubs, we’ve issued this open letter. We're publicly committing ourselves to tackling racism.

🔗https://t.co/5U1BCbQ7ZZ

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 29, 2019

Lukaku has found plenty of success early at Inter since completing his transfer this summer. In 13 Serie A matches, he has already found the net 10 times. His strike against Slavia was also the 250th senior goal of his career.

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has revealed he knew for some time he would leave Manchester United in the summer.

The Belgian swapped the Premier League for Serie A in an €80 million (£74 million) move in the summer.

He told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football-Italia): "Once I learned that [Ole Gunnar] Solsjkaer planned to put me on the wing, then I knew my time at Manchester United was over."

Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho as manager at Old Trafford in December.

In January, he deployed Lukaku on the right wing when United beat Arsenal 3-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The centre-forward did well that day and contributed two assists, but he failed to replicate that success when Solskjaer deployed him there on other occasions in the campaign.

The 26-year-old left United having returned 42 goals and 13 assists in 96 matches for the Red Devils.

He has enjoyed a strong start to life in Italy, notching nine goals in 12 Serie A appearances.

The forward carried that momentum into the international break, when he added another goal to his remarkable tally for Belgium:

🇧🇪 Lukaku for Belgium = 🔥🔥🔥

⚽️5⃣2⃣ 👕8⃣4⃣#EURO2020 | @BelRedDevils pic.twitter.com/FNOF1MzQen

— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) November 19, 2019

At Inter, Lukaku has formed an impressive partnership with fellow forward Lautaro Martinez:

27 - Inter's Romelu #Lukaku is the player with the most successful lay-offs in Serie A current season. Partner. pic.twitter.com/4PZEORh0AI

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 22, 2019

He's not prepared to discuss winning the Scudetto, though: "Better to be silent [on talk of the title]. Many think they can beat Juve, but in fact, no one has done it for eight years. We have to take one game at a time."

Juventus sit one point ahead of Inter after 12 matches as they pursue their ninth consecutive Serie A title.

Napoli have run them close in recent years, but even accruing 91 points in the 2017-18 campaign was not enough.

At Inter, Lukaku is working under former Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte. "Conte is unique," he said. "We know what to do in every situation. He and [Jose] Mourinho are the two best coaches of my career."

The Italian certainly has unique methods:

Antonio Conte is advising Inter's players on their sex lives  pic.twitter.com/sgi3CL7xe8

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 22, 2019

Conte won the first three of Juve's eight consecutive titles, and he also won the Premier League with Chelsea at the first time of asking in the 2016-17 season.

Inter are still the underdogs—they've not finished higher than fourth during Juve's run of title wins—but with Conte in charge and Lukaku consistently finding the back of the net, it's their best chance in years.  

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has said he advises his players on how to have sex during the season.

Talking to L'Equipe (h/t Metro), the Italian explained his advice is aimed at preventing his players expending too much energy before a match:

"During the season, I advise my players to have sex for short periods and with the minimum of effort, and better use positions where they are under their partners. And preferably, with their wives, because if with others, well, that needs extra action."

Antonio Conte is advising Inter's players on their sex lives 😂 pic.twitter.com/sgi3CL7xe8

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 22, 2019

Conte's methods are having a positive effect at Inter. He took over as Nerazzurri boss in May 2019, succeeding Luciano Spalletti.

After 12 matches of the 2019-20 season, Inter have dropped just five points in Serie A and are hot on the heels of leaders Juventus:

Here are the updated standings after Matchday 12. 💪🏻✅
How did your team do?
Let us know with an emoji. 😱😥🤗😍#SerieATIM #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/qAztT7hD0E

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 10, 2019

Inter have not won the Scudetto since 2009-10, and they have not properly competed for the title since 2010-11.

Conte looks set to make them Serie A contenders again this term after back-to-back fourth-place finishes under Spalletti.

The 50-year-old has a brilliant recent record as a club manager.

Between 2011 and 2014, he won three consecutive Serie A titles as Juve boss, and he then led Chelsea to their fifth Premier League title in 2016-17.

Conte is not the first manager to attempt to advise players on their sex lives.

Samir Nasri previously revealed that when he was at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola set a curfew for his players: "For him, his players' sexual activity must take place before midnight in order to get a good night's sleep."  

The agent of Inter Milan midfielder Stefano Sensi has said Barcelona and Manchester City wanted to sign his client in the summer, and the two remain interested.  

Beppe Riso spoke to Calciomercato.com (h/t Football Italia) to discuss recent rumours linking Sensi with a switch to the Etihad Stadium: "It's not surprising that there is interest. Antonio Conte wanted him and Inter did well to get him first of all. Interest from Barcelona and Manchester City was already there over the summer, so it's normal that it's still going on."

Sensi joined the Nerazzurri from Sassuolo in the summer in a loan deal worth €5 million. The deal includes an option to make the switch permanent, and Inter are widely expected to trigger it.

Per sports writer Kaustubh Pandey, the Sensi transfer has been among Serie A's best:

Stefano Sensi: Probably the obvious one. Anyone who's minutely watched Serie A knows that.

Brings so much control in midfield and makes the Inter midfield look so cohesive. He wasn't even an advanced playmaker at neroverdi but Conte has praised his ability to adapt and evolve.

— Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) November 16, 2019

The 24-year-old has steadily worked his way up the ladder of Italian football since graduating from the Cesena academy. He's played for San Marino and had a loan spell with Cesena after Sassuolo acquired him, but his breakout came in the 2018-19 campaign.

Sensi impressed greatly for Sassuolo and earned his first cap for Italy in November, before joining giants Inter. He has already scored a career-best three Serie A goals for the Nerazzurri, despite being limited to just seven appearances due to injury.

The all-action midfielder has a versatile skill set:

Stefano Sensi at Inter. Yeah, you've got my attention. pic.twitter.com/wUqgcappDL

— Hudl Statsbomb (@Statsbomb) November 12, 2019

Inter manager Antonio Conte has mainly used Sensi as both an attacking midfielder and deep-lying playmaker, but has even pushed him further up the pitch at times. Such versatility makes him a potent weapon as a starter, as well as a fantastic depth option.

Inter are not expected to sell Sensi on once they trigger his clause. He's an integral part of their project and will be vital in their efforts to topple eight-time defending Serie A champions Juventus.

Money is key though, as Inter are among the league's top spenders:

https://twitter.com/IFTVofficial/status/1196502456026435584

A big offer could help the club balance the books, and while Sensi is an important cog in their team, Inter have plenty of depth. Summer signing Lucien Agoume and academy graduate Xian Emmers will both push for more playing time in the near future, and could be adequate replacements once they gain more experience.

Inter Milan have offered a positive update on Alexis Sanchez's recovery from ankle surgery and are optimistic he could return to action ahead of schedule.

The club's head of medical services, Piero Volpi, told La Cuarta (h/t Goal's Dom Farrell) that the Chile international could be back playing before the middle of January 2019.

"It is a delicate injury, but the recovery is going very well, the deadlines are being met. Mid-January [is the return date] but we'll see. Alexis could even come back a little earlier if all goes well. He has not yet done work with the ball, but we hope that in the next few days we will have news about it. Everything is going well."

Sanchez went under the knife in October after suffering a dislocated left ankle and tendon damage while playing for Chile in a friendly against Colombia. Initial reports in Italy (h/t FourFourTwo) suggested he could be out of action for 12 weeks.

The injury was a blow to both club and player. Sanchez only arrived at Inter in August on loan from Manchester United aiming to revive his career after a dismal spell at Old Trafford. He scored just five goals in 45 appearances for the Red Devils.

Manager Antonio Conte said he wanted to help Sanchez "find the form and the brilliance he has lost a little," during his time at the San Siro, per Perform (h/t AS).

Sanchez struggled for minutes in the early weeks of the season, with Conte explaining he was not ready to start for his side:

Antonio Conte says Alexis Sanchez is not ready to start for @Inter since joining on loan from @ManUtd in the summer.

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 25, 2019

His first start came in Inter's 2-1 win over Sampdoria at the end of September. The Chilean scored his first goal for the club but was later sent off for diving in an eventful outing:

Alexis Sanchez’s first Inter start was…eventful. pic.twitter.com/gsVuRLgV8k

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 29, 2019

Sanchez made just four appearances for Inter before his injury but will hope he can return and make an impact at the club in the second half of the season.

Inter are paying £175,000 of the 30-year-old's £390,000 weekly wages, but the loan deal does not include an option to buy, according to the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano and Marcus Christenson.

United will also be keen to see Sanchez return to fitness. He remains one of their top earners and they are keen to offload the forward in the summer, according to The Athletic (h/t the Mirror's Darren Wells).

Inter Milan reportedly received a death threat addressed to coach Antonio Conte, who is now said to be under police protection.

Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) reported the news on Saturday. An envelope containing both threats and a bullet were sent to the tactician.

Inter later clarified to news agency ANSA and Gazzetta (h/t Football Italia) the threat arrived at the club and not Conte's house. His wife had taken to Facebook to deny the reports.

In their statement, the Nerazzurri said the authorities are dealing with the matter: "In relation to the stories published today, FC Internazionale Milano wish to clarify that Antonio Conte did not personally receive any threatening letter and, consequently, did not himself go to the police. It was the club that received a letter and, as is protocol in these situations, passed it on to the relevant authorities."

Per Football Italia, the threats are likely a prank, but no chances are being taken.

Conte took the job at the San Siro during the summer after previously coaching Juventus, Chelsea and the Italy national team. He's found immediate success with the Nerazzurri, who trail eight-time defending champions Juventus by a single point in the standings.

Juventus and Inter are fierce rivals, but Bianconeri blog Juvefc.com still called out whomever was responsible for the threat:

In today's reminder of how ******* stupid football fans can be, Antonio Conte recieved a bullet in the post with a series of threats. I give up. We may love it passionately, but it's a ******* game.

— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) November 16, 2019

Conte and his troops can ill afford any distractions once the international break ends. The coming weeks will be crucial for Inter, both domestically and in the UEFA Champions League.

The Nerazzurri will visit Torino on November 23 in Serie A before a crucial Champions League clash with Slavia Prague. Inter chase second-place Borussia Dortmund by three points in Group F and have just two more matches to bridge that gap.

After the trip to the Czech Republic, Inter will close out the year with matches against SPAL, Roma, Barcelona, Fiorentina and Genoa.    

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has attacked the club's hierarchy following their loss to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. 

Inter were 2-0 up on the night and seemingly in control of the contest at the Westfalenstadion. However, they became complacent in the second half and allowed their hosts to build momentum, culminating in a 3-2 comeback win for Dortmund.

After the game, Conte was asked for his thoughts on the team's performance and said he's been left with a squad that's not good enough to compete domestically and in the Champions League, per Reuters (h/t the Guardian):

"Some important mistakes have been made at the planning stage, we can't play both the Champions League and Serie A with such a small squad. I'm tired of saying the same things over and over again, perhaps they could come here over and say something. I hope that this will help them understand a few things.

"They tell me that I should smile more on television. But I always end up saying the same things, about the growth process, about taking it step by step.

"The lads are giving everything and going at full pelt, and I can't ask them for more than that. We are talking about players who, apart from Diego Godin, have never won anything. Who do we turn to? Nicolo Barella who has come from Cagliari? Or (Stefano) Sensi, who came from Sassuolo?"

Here are the highlights of a remarkable game, which leaves Inter third in Group F behind Barcelona and Dortmund:

Inter were praised in the summer when they convinced Conte to join, especially given his connections with rivals Juventus as a player and manager.

Overall his start to life at the club has been positive. In Serie A, they appear to be the team most likely to challenge Juve's dominance at the top of the table, and after 11 games they sit just one point behind the Turin giants.

However, it's clear Conte isn't pleased with certain aspects of the squad assembled. Italian football writer David Amoyal said he thinks more patience is required from the former Chelsea boss:

While I admire Conte’s obsessive drive, he should remember the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” because Inter made some very significant investments to bolster the squad last summer

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) November 5, 2019

Conte is always preaching how it’s all about the group & no individual should be above it, yet he often creates tension with his clubs’ directors. So either he has different standards for himself or he purposely creates an “us vs them” environment with squad vs management

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) November 6, 2019

Daniella Matar of the Associated Press isn't expecting the coach's complaints to stop any time soon:

Anyone want to take bets on how long until Conte says “you can’t go to a restaurant that costs 100 euros with 10 euros in your pocket”? My money is on after #Inter vs. Barcelona https://t.co/efQYRjIqoz

— Daniella Matar (@DaniellaMatar) November 6, 2019

While Conte may not have seen many winners arrive in the summer, a lot of excellent players joined. Inter were bolstered in attack with Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, while Sensi and Barella are strong midfield options.

With that in mind, not to mention Inter's position in Serie A, Conte's remarks will surprise some. Should he still be in charge come the end of the campaign, it will be intriguing to see what type of business the club does ahead of the next campaign.

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has said he thinks Borussia Dortmund were "afraid" of his side in their UEFA Champions League meeting on Wednesday.

Inter eventually ran out 2-0 winners in the game, with Lautaro Martinez and Antonio Candreva on target either side of half time. The Serie A side were the more ruthless of the two teams on the night, with Dortmund unable to slip into their trademark attacking groove.

The Bundesliga outfit's lack of fluidity may have been down to the fact they changed their system, with manager Lucien Favre using a three-man defence.

Conte discussed the tactical change post-match, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia):

"Borussia Dortmund changed their system to five at the back, which means they were afraid of us and wanted to play by changing their approach to mirror ours.

"We had prepared for a very different match, but did well to adjust. When Dortmund switched back to 4-2-3-1 after the break, we adjusted again and took control.

"We had prepared to press them in certain areas of the pitch and they changed their system, so that was no longer valid. The most important thing I told the lads was not to lose possession in central areas, as that is where they push forward on the counter."

Here are the highlights from the encounter at the San Siro, with three points for Inter seeing them move above Dortmund into second place in Group F on goal difference:

Per B/R Football, it was clear how much the win meant to Conte, as he celebrated wildly with Candreva after he scored the match-clinching goal:

Antonio Conte loves a celebration 💪 pic.twitter.com/FJ0P7AZpeH

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 23, 2019

Dortmund were able to control the ball for long spells at the San Siro, although they were unable to carve open a rock-solid Inter defence with any great frequency.

That performance was ultimately a platform that allowed the Serie A side to win the game. Aside from Martinez's saved penalty, the Nerazzurri were ruthless with the opportunities that came their way, with the Argentina international especially impressive up top.

Per Scouted Football, the 22-year-old is showing an appetite for the big stage and making encouraging improvements in other areas of his play, too:

As we said over the weekend, Lautaro's finding his feet by scoring goals, but his general play is at another level this season.

Great blindside movement, working hard to disrupt and pressure defences, combining dynamically with team-mates – it's shaping up to be a breakout year.

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) October 23, 2019

Kevin Egan thinks Martinez has the attributes to go to the top of the game:

Lautaro is class. 1-0 Inter. As @BonettiESPN described him, he's the complete striker. Age 22, Argentine and extremely marketable.... guessing his value is now three times what Inter paid for him 15 months ago ($28.5m)

— Kevin Egan (@kev_egan) October 23, 2019

Conte's team are now in a strong position to qualify from what is a challenging group. In addition to Dortmund, Barcelona are also battling to get out of Group F, while the side many expected to be the whipping boys—Slavia Prague—have battled admirably so far.

Overall, it's been a strong start to the season for Conte, as he appears set to turn Inter into challengers for major honours once again.