Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte fears Chinese owners will sack him after Europa League loss
- Suning-owned Serie A side lose 3-2 to Sevilla in Germany as Spanish side lift sixth title thanks to Romelu Lukaku own goal
- Italian tells press he might not be the manager next season as chairman Steven Zhang says ‘we want to improve’
Chinese-owned Inter Milan will have to wait for their first trophy of the Suning regime after losing 3-2 in the Uefa Europa League final to Sevilla in Cologne.
The Italians had taken the lead thanks to striker Romelu Lukaku after the Belgian converted a penalty that he had won in the 5th minute. His goal took him to 34 for the season, matching the mark of Brazilian striker Ronaldo in his own debut season at the club.
Sevilla equalised after Luuk De Jong powered home a diving header from a Jesus Navas cross, the same combination that had seen off Manchester United in the semi-finals.
The Dutchman, in Julien Lopetegui’s starting line-up after that winner, then put the five-time Europa League champions in front with another header, from an Ever Banega free-kick.
Inter defender Diego Godin levelled the scores with another header from a set piece to leave it 2-2 at half-time.
Sevilla then took the lead once more after another Banega free kick was not cleared by the Inter defence and the La Liga side’s Diego Carlos, up from defence and with his leg heavily strapped, attempted a bicycle kick.
The effort was going wide before it was diverted into the goal by Lukaku, who moments earlier had wasted a chance to put the Italians in the lead much to the disgust of coach Antonio Conte on the sidelines.
Worse still it was Carlos that had brought Lukaku down for the penalty and referee Danny Makkelie chose to only punish the defender with a yellow card rather than red.
That ended the scoring, although Alexis Sanchez came close but his tame attempt was cleared off the line.
Inter have not won a European trophy since the Uefa Champions League in 2010 while Sevilla, who have now won the Europa League six times in six final appearances, have won this trophy three times since 2014.
Head coach Conte put his future in further doubt after the game.
“We're going to meet next week with the club and we'll decide about my future. I'm not sure that I'll be the Inter manager next season, we'll decide together,” Conte told Sky Sports Italia. “Inter will plan the future with or without me.”
Earlier this month Conte questioned the board, which is led by Steven Zhang the son of Suning owner, following the end of the Serie A season in which Inter finished second to Juventus.
“I don’t think the work of the players has been recognised and I don’t think my work has been recognised,” Conte said. “We all received very little protection from the club, absolutely zero.
Zhang did not ease Conte’s fears, though he did point to the positive aspect of reaching a final.
“He and his staff, together with the players and all the other members of the club are doing a great job,” Zhang told Sky Sport Italia. “Now the players and the staff will rest, because they deserve it, and then we will plan for the future.
“We want to improve next season. The balance of this season is very positive. We are on a path that has allowed us to get to the final.
“All of us, on and off the pitch, are doing a great job and are heading in the right direction. Winning or losing is part of football, but getting to the final makes us optimistic for the future.”
