Few media reports have also stated that Lionel Messi is likely to move to Italy, following the footsteps of what Cristiano Ronaldo did.
Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)
Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has rubbished all the rumours about Lionel Messi joining the Italian giants. Conte dismissed all the media reports and said that Messi can only come to Inter in fantasy football.
Amid an ongoing tussle between Messi and the Barcelona management, it has been reported by the Spanish media that the Argentine veteran has stopped negotiation about the extension of his contract with the Catalanuya club.
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Few reports have also stated that Messi is likely to move to Italy, following the footsteps of what his former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo did a couple of years ago. Conte, however, played down such talks linking Messi with a possible move to Inter in the near future.
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“We’re talking about fantasy football, situations that at the moment cannot be linked to Inter. For many reasons,” Conte told reporters after win over Genoa as quoted by IANS.
“I don’t think there’s a madman in the world who wouldn’t want Messi. But that kind of situation really is very, very, very far from Inter, from what we are doing and what we are trying to build.
“We need to create a solid base, and then maybe… I repeat, this is fantasy football; however, I like the fact that when fantasy football is involved, the team that is linked to it is always Inter,” he added.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan on Saturday beat Genoa 3-0 and kept a faint hope alive of winning the Serie A title. Romelu Lukaku netted in both sides of the half-time break.
Alexis Sanchez scored the other goal of the match to help Conte’s side go past Atlanta to the second place, within four points of table-toppers and probable champions Juventus.
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