Inter have found their next coach, as they reportedly convinced Simone Inzaghi to change his mind on the extension with Lazio. The gaffer met with president Claudio Lotito yesterday night and came to terms on his new deal. However, CEO Giuseppe Marotta, after missing out on Massimiliano Allegri, wooed him with a much higher offer. He is expected to sign a two-year contract and be officially announced in the next few hours or Friday, Alfredo Pedullà reports.
The 45-year-old manager had agreed to a three-year renewal with Lazio during a dinner Wednesday night, with €2.5M annual wages. However, he waited on putting pen-to-paper, and his agent Tullio Tinti was pictured at the Inter headquarters this afternoon. During the day, the Nerazzurri raised their pressure, proposing a €4M salary plus bonuses, more than double what he was poised to make, on top of a better squad and higher ambitions.
Their management always wanted to appoint an Italian coach and, with him at the helm, their well-oiled 3-5-2 tactic would stay intact. Marotta announced during an event: “The new coach? Maybe we will be able to close the deal by the end of the day.”
Inzaghi is set to leave Lazio after a five-year run, where he set a new record for most matches on the Biancocelesti bench. He collected 134 wins, 45 draws, and 72 losses during his time in Rome. He finished 5th twice, 6th in the most recent season, while he qualified for Champions League in 2019/2020, bowing out in the Round of 16 versus Bayern Munich in the most recent campaign.