Inter Milan has an 11-point lead on the Serie A field with five matches left, the Nerrazzurri closing in on a first scudetto in 11 years.
They’ll get it very soon, ending Juventus’ nine-year title run and becoming the first non-Juve title winners since AC Milan pipped their city rivals to the shield in 2010-11.
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This will be Inter’s 19th scudetto, and there’s added reason for celebration in snapping a tie for the second-most top-flight titles in Italy with AC Milan.
And you can laud the champions-elect a little more. Yes, the club’s hierarchy tried to put it in the dreaded European Super League, but it’s players are looking out for the club more than it looked out for them.
Multiple reports say that Inter players will not accept their championship bonuses after their historic run to the title.
Antonio Conte’s men have lost just twice this Serie A season and can claim their scudetto as early as Sunday should they win at Crotone on Saturday and Atalanta fail to beat Sassuolo.
Speaking of Conte… how good is this guy?
Antonio Conte is 51 years old and won just about everything you could win as a player with Juventus, but his managerial career is even better.
Conte led Bari to Serie A promotion from Serie B in 2008-09. After a short and unhappy stint with Atalanta, he took the reins at Siena and led them from Serie B to Serie A.
Juventus hired its former player and he lost a total of 15 times in 104 matches over three seasons.
He left for the Italy job before going to Chelsea, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup before going to Inter and going to the Europa League final in Year One before leading a scudetto haul in Year Two.
Who’s got as good a track record as Conte? Pep Guardiola. Jurgen Klopp. Diego Simeone? Maybe Zinedine Zidane, but we haven’t seen him do anything outside of Real Madrid. Few others.
