Antonio Conte is in last chance saloon at Inter Milan... after publicly falling out with the board the two parties have formed a 'truce' this summer, however that could easily be broken if he fails to deliver silverware again
Antonio Conte's relationship with Inter Milan is hanging by a thread after just one year in charge of the club.
The manager has endured a very mixed time with the club hierarchy and this upcoming campaign could be his last at the San Siro before it has even begun.
When it comes to Conte it is always best to wait a few weeks before expressing definitive judgments on his career choices.
Antonio Conte is facing a make-or-break season at Inter Milan after just one year in charge
Conte looked set to be heading for the San Siro exit this summer but relations have improved
In the summer of 2014, after announcing that he wanted to stay in Turin with Juventus, he left the club after only one day of his summer holidays. Juventus subsequently chose Massimiliano Allegri to replace him within hours and he helped the Italian giants to win five-straight Serie A titles.
For all of his brilliance, Conte is a manager with a thousand moods who manages to give 100 per cent when he is totally involved in the technical project of the company.
The 51-year-old is a technician with a very particular and sensitive character but he is the best Italian coach for results and points won every year.
After an explosive end of last season, he is yet to agree a true truce with the board. However, both parties will continue to work together for the well-being of the club, despite an endless series of measures to avoid new public political clashes.
At the height of the tension, Conte faced the very risk of being fired by Inter chairman Steven Zhang but now, according to Corriere dello Sport, their relationship is 'cordial' and they hope to work together until at least June 2022 - when the former's contract expires.
According to reports in Italy, the Italian has formed a truce with Inter chairman Steven Zhang
However, the club will no longer resort to diplomacy if Conte again is publicly critical of the running of the Italian giants. He knows this and in compliance has agreed to air any grievances firmly behind closed doors. The former Chelsea boss knows anything differently will exacerbate tensions and cloud Inter's season.
So far on the surface it seems that things have improved with Conte being backed by the board. The decision to abandon the signing of Sandro Tonali is the perfect example of this.
The Brescia midfielder is highly-sought after and has been compared to Italy legend Andrea Pirlo. However, despite the board's interest in the 20-year-old; Conte wants his midfield to be packed with experience instead.
He's asked for new recruits to also be strong mentally and tactically accompanied with international football know-how - hence the signing of Ashley Young in the last window, for example.
The Inter board were keen to sign Brescia playmaker Sandro Tonali but Conte doesn't want him
N'Golo Kante and Arturo Vidal are two midfield targets Conte would rather the board sign
Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta would have liked Tonali but is backing Conte's judgement
Instead of Tonali, Conte is keen to sign either Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, 29, or Barcelona's Arturo Vidal, 33.
Both have title-winning experience across Europe as well as the international know-how he seeks.
Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta would have liked Tonali but has backed his manager instead. Conte wants players with a winning mentality ready to do battle for him as he looks to topple Pirlo's Juventus.
If that doesn't happen, then expect a parting of the ways at the San Siro come May 2021.
Conte came close to ending last season with silverware but Inter lost the Europa League final