Conte is like a big brother - Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi confirms he wants to stay at Inter for a long time and considers Antonio Conte as a big brother.
The Nerazzurri are 11 points clear of the city rival Milan and moving towards their first Scudetto since 2010.
“
It was a gradual growth process, as many of us were new here, myself included, so we took a while to get to know each other,”
Hakimihas told La Repubblica newspaper.
“Some things also happened that gave us that extra push. The Champions League elimination allowed us to focus entirely on Serie A and we learned from every defeat what we really wanted to do. We talk about the Scudetto with respect, knowing it’s not won yet. That’s the objective, I won’t lie, but there’s a while to go.”
Conte’s celebrations are becoming more agitated on the touchline, running towards Hakimi and kissing him after the assist for Matteo Darmian’s goal against Cagliari.
“That was a lovely gesture of affection. The coach is with us no matter what happens. He’s like a big brother, for age and experience. He lets us be free and enjoy our football, which you can tell. He’s not just a coach, he’s part of this group that he created.
“I grew up at Real Madrid with a four-man defence, but I do have more freedom to push forward in a 3-5-2. The focus on tactics and defending are central to Conte’s idea of football and making me a more complete player. Our strength is that we want the same things and are all on the same page, off and on the field.”
Hakimi’s agent admitted this week that many clubs, including Napoli, were looking to sign the 22-year-old Moroccan.
“The team that attracted me the most was Inter and I saw it as a growth project. I am honoured to be one of the testimonials for the new club logo. I like it, as it looks to the future, a future we can build together. I hope to stay at this club for a long time, I’m very happy,”
added the wing-back.
And yet, some criticize Inter for being too negative, focused on defense and counter-tactics.
“It’s a football match, not a film. In football what counts is scoring goals and not conceding them, winning games and finishing first in tournaments.”
The Brazilian Ronaldo said he would’ve liked to team up with Ashraf Hakimi in his Inter team.
“I wonder what we could’ve done together! You can do anything with Ronaldo, it would’ve been wonderful to run down the flank and provide him an assist.”
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