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Simone Inzaghi Listed as Heavy -200 Favorite to Be Next Inter Milan Manager

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated May 27, 2021 · 11:06 AM PDT

Simone Inzaghi
Lazio's Luis Alberto celebrates, back to camera hugs Lazio's head coach Simone Inzaghi after scoring during the Italian Serie A between Lazio and Napoli at Rome's Olympic stadium, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
  • Simone Inzaghi listed as -200 favorite to be the next Inter Milan manager
  • Antonio Conte leaves amid claims of player sales worth €80m at the San Siro
  • We preview the prospective new manager, look at the odds, and offer a best bet below

It is all change at Inter Milan after Antonio Conte decided to part company with the club after it was announced that, rather than backing him in the summer transfer window, it plans to sell $80m worth of players to plug an ever-expanding hole in their finances.

As a result, plenty of big names are already being linked with the job, including Lazio’s Simone Inzaghi who has been installed as the bookies’ early favorite. We take a look at the odds and rumor mill to see if there is an outsider worthy of a bet.

Next Permanent Inter Milan Manager Odds

Manager Odds
Simone Inzaghi -200
Mauricio Sarri +500
Gian Piero Gasperini +600
Zinedine Zidane +600
Diego Simeone +800
Nuno Espirito Santo +1200
Carlo Ancelotti +1600
Mauricio Pochettino +1600
Roberto Martinez +1600
Julen Lopetegui +2000
Lucien Favre +2000
Rafael Benitez +2000
Andre Villas-Boas +2500
Joachim Low +2500
Laurent Blanc +2500
Massimiliano Allegri +2500
Roberto De Zerbi +2500
Didier Deschamps +3300
Frank de Boer +3300
Marco Silva +3300

Odds as of May 27 at William Hill

Inzaghi In, Conte Out?

Amid much acrimony, Antonio Conte has left Inter Milan by “mutual consent”, and Simone Inzaghi has been installed as the early favorite to replace him as head coach of the newly installed Serie A champions. Conte’s deal with the club’s owners will see him paid €7m for the final year of his contract but it leaves the door open for a newcomer to take over what is currently the best squad in Italy.

There are, however, huge doubts over whether the squad will stay in its current form and it seems clear that Inzaghi, or whoever else takes over the reins, will be dealing with a squad reduced in both numbers and quality. Inter chairman Steven Zhang was reported to have asked Conte to cut the total wage bill by 15 to 20 percent, which meant, potentially, player sales worth up to €80m this summer – a sacrifice he was unprepared to make.

Inzaghi’s credentials are unquestionable after a successful six-year spell in charge of Lazio, but the 45-year-old is out of contract in June and he has recently expressed the frustration of his situation in Rome with Italian journalists. A move to Milan would potentially suit both parties, especially given the progressive soccer he has his Lazio team playing.  He is an odds-on favorite for a reason.

Sarri In With a Shout?

Mauricio Sarri, most recently manager of Juventus but who also had a spell in the EPL with Chelsea, is second-favorite and it is reported that contact has already been made, but on the premise of both making compromises to their respective playing styles. Sarri, on the face of it, also looks a good fit and there is a feeling that Inter fans would appreciate his attractive, exciting, and attack-minded brand of soccer,

Gian Piero Gasperini, manager of the up-and-coming Atalanta, and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane are joint third favorites but both with very different CVs. Zidane’s is borne of him being one of the world’s best players, who has made a reasonable attempt at becoming a manager, while Gasperini has worked wonders with a relatively modest playing budget to turn Atalanta into a genuine force in Italian soccer. Zidane has, in the last few hours, stepped down from his post at Real Madrid.

Ancelotti a Safe pair of Hands?

Another to watch is Carlo Ancelotti, currently managing Everton in the EPL, who, despite having signed a long-term contract for the Merseyside club, may be tempted into a return to Serie A. The Toffees only finished 12th this season after spending some big sums last summer and so Ancelotti is under a degree of pressure and could be seen as a safe pair of hands in Milan with his vast experience.

Another in the frame is former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who spent last season with PSG but who has recently been linked with a return to north London after the failure of the Jose Mourinho project. He may yet be tempted to try his luck in Italy rather than return to England and would then be reunited with his former player Christian Eriksen. Pochettino is another famed for his attractive brand of soccer.

De Zerbi’s Stock on the Rise

Another outsider worth considering is the experienced Massimiliano Allegri – a name that continually crops up when all the big jobs become vacant in Italy. He may not be classed as particularly innovative compared to some of his younger rivals, but he does have five Scudettos to his name and therefore can never be discounted.

And finally, for another outsider look no further than Roberto De Zerbi. The young Sassuolo manager has been outstanding ever since taking over there in 2018 and has been recently linked to a move to one of the bigger Italian clubs. Sassuolo finished 8th in Serie A and narrowly missed out on European football – a massive achievement for one of Serie A’s minnows.

Best bet: Simone Inzaghi (-200) | Best outsider: De Zerbi (+2500)

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