Antonio Conte will head into the Europa League final aiming to win a major trophy in his first season in charge of Inter Milan and extend the barren spell of his Sevilla rival Julen Lopetegui when they clash on Friday.
The difference in fortunes could not be starker as Conte won three successive Serie A titles with Juventus followed by the 2016-17 Premier League title with Chelsea, while Lopetegui has been unable to claim a single honour at senior level as coach. Sevilla and Inter have won eight Europa League titles between them, with the Spanish side chasing a record-extending sixth trophy against its in-form rival.
Lopetegui conceded denying Inter would be a tall order. “It is not easy for such high level players to play in such a peculiar collective way. The squad is full of players with a talent, they will oblige us to play an extraordinary game.”
Deadly pair
Conte acknowledged the Inter’s goal-hungry pair of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez had developed a lethal partnership. “It was inevitable that, working hard and working together, a connection between the two would develop,” said Conte.
told UEFA’s official website.
“They have the typical selfishness of all strikers, but they also work hard to help the others score.
“We’re playing a team with more experience and the most trophies in this competition in the last decade. It’s a final and only the best teams reach the final, so we need to show that we’re the best if we want to win the trophy.”
