Inter Milan president Steven Zhang has given his verdict on Antonio Conte after talks for him to take over at Tottenham came to a screeching halt.
Conte had looked set to take over from Jose Mourinho at Tottenham after 'promising' early talks between the two parties, but reports then emerged on Friday that the Italian was not convinced of the project and discussions were ended.
The decision has left Spurs still looking for their next head coach, and it is yet another miss after Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers, Massimiliano Allegri and others were taken swiftly off the table.
But in the case of Conte, it seems Spurs should perhaps have seen it coming, given the Italian walked away from his Inter Milan role despite winning the title due to a lack of money to spend on new players.
Tottenham were always clear they would have to sell players in order to spend money, and Inter Milan's president has spoken about the different views that prompted Conte's exit from the Serie A club, which perhaps hint at why it has not worked out with Spurs.
"From the first moment we took over Inter we thought that [Antonio] Conte would be the best coach for our project," Inter chief Zhang told Gazzetta Dello Sport. "Two years ago we finally managed to bring him to the Nerazzurri.
"I was and remain convinced that Conte is a winning coach: this is the reason that led us to invest so much in him and in the team in the last two years.
"Last summer the pandemic had greatly affected our revenues but we continued with him, focusing on the season convinced that we could win.
"The decision was right, but now the bill brought by the pandemic is such that we cannot fail to review the situation by looking for savings that lead to a future budget balance.
"We must reduce costs and control risks. This obviously also influences the transfer market strategy. Our different views on the situation led to the separation.
"What wasn't fundamental for him, was for the club, and vice-versa. Conte is a top coach, but as president, I have to think about the solidity of the club."
