Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte has taken a mischievous dig at Juventus, hinting that the reigning Scudetto holders are receiving unreasonable favour.
It isn’t the unbearable heat of the summer but the frigidness of the winter that currently causes beads of perspiration to drop down the forehead of the Inter’s Italian gaffer. To be distinct, it is the congested fixture-list that has seemingly left Antonio Conte in utter exasperation.
Winning the midweek’s Coppa Italia quarter-final tie against SPAL with a 4-0 scoreline, Juventus made progress to the next round, where they will meet Inter Milan.
The first leg of the semi-final—Inter’s home game—will be held on next Tuesday. After that, both teams will meet on the same day one week later to conclude the tie with the second leg at Allianz Stadium at Turin.
Juventus will face Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday night
Both Juventus and Inter will play a game in Serie A against AS Roma and Fiorentina respectively next weekend—prior to the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. While Inter will visit Stadio Artemio Franchi on Friday evening, Juventus is set to host Roma on Saturday.
And that contrast in schedule has caused quite a tumult in Inter’s camp as far as Antonio Conte is concerned. Speaking to the media on Saturday, the 51-year-old manager raised questions over the decision of them being authorised to play one day earlier than their Coppa Italia semi-final opponents.
He said,
"“I don’t understand why we can’t also play on Saturday.“I see no reason why our match can’t be moved too.”"
Although the words were not directly aimed at Juventus, Conte’s facial expression indicated that he was annoyed by the fact Juventus’ players will be getting more rest than those at his disposal.
When Juventus and Inter last met, the Nerazzurri came up as the victors. With an experienced head over the accomplished shoulders, Antonio Conte will be looking to answer his critics with their performance next midweek. On the other hand, Pirlo is still in the hunt for his victory in the illustrious Derby d’Italia.