Inter banks on Lukaku
‘SMILING GIANT’: SHARPER AND MORE ENTHUSIASTIC PLAYING FOR CONTE
Italian coach Antonio Conte has made “gentle giant” Romelu Lukaku the focus of Inter Milan’s attack this season, since the striker has found his scoring touch again. The Belgian got off the mark in his first league match, against Lecce, and has since scored five goals in eight Serie A games following his departure under a cloud from Old Trafford last summer.
Lukaku, 26, scored a brace last weekend against Sassuolo to keep Inter second in Serie A, one point behind defending champions Juventus, after eight games.
It followed a double as Belgium sealed their Euro 2020 ticket, extending his national record to 51 goals in 83 appearances.
Conte’s side host Group F leaders Borussia Dortmund in their third Champions League game today having been held 1-1 to Slavia Prague and losing 2-1 to Barcelona, with Lukaku missing the trip to Spain with a thigh injury.
Inter gambled big by investing around €80 million (R1.3 billion) in Lukaku to restore his Red Devils’ pairing with Alexis Sanchez.
Sanchez made just four appearances for Inter before being ruled out for three months with an ankle injury.
But Lukaku has still impressed with a rich vein of form alongside Argentine Lautaro Martinez, who also scored a double last weekend.
“We’re working with Romelu to get to know one another better,” said Martinez. “We’re looking to improve our understanding.”
The Belgian’s high energy levels and sharp play now are in contrast to at United, where he spent two seasons, scoring 42 goals in 96 appearances, but just 15 last season.
He was never far from fan criticism, over his weight and professionalism, and fell down the pecking order once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho.
Hopes had been high that Lukaku could spearhead a new era for United when he joined from Everton for £75 million (R1.4 billion) in 2017, but he left Manchester having failed to win a trophy.
“At the end, I thought it was better for me to move on and try different things,” said Lukaku, who took the No 9 jersey of former Inter captain Mauro Icardi, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain.
Conte has been a long-time admirer of Lukaku.
“Lukaku entered the Inter world in the best of ways, with great humility, he’s a good giant, a giant with a smile,” said Conte, who is trying to break Juventus’ stranglehold in Italy and win Inter’s first title since their treble under Mourinho in 2010.
Despite being targeted by racist chants during a league game in Cagliari, Lukaku has no regrets about choosing Italy, and above all Conte.
“Between him and I there is a very strong relationship. I’m happy. At the age of 26, I want a coach like this, who helps me every day and gives me motivation,” he said. “He’s the best manager in the world.” – AFP