Conte is head and shoulders above Van Gaal and Mourinho
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 29.04.21. | 17:01
Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian claims his bosses at Old Trafford were nowhere near as good as Inter coach Antonio Conte
One was obsessed with rules, the other cared about winning alone. Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho marked Matteo Darmian’s Manchester United career. The 31-year-old Italian sees good things in both bosses in his United spell, but has no doubts that Antonio Conte, the current Inter head coach is the best of them all.
Conte's Inter Milan can this weekend clinch their first Serie A title since 2010 when Mourinho won the Treble. And Matteo Darmian has claimed the ex-Chelsea boss is a step ahead of his strange former Old Trafford coaches.
Darmian spent four years with Manchester United (©AFP)The Italy defender spent four years in the Premier League from 2015-19 and won the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and the Europa League. But Darmian, who is currently on loan at Inter from Parma, lift the lid on the way the Dutch tactician carried himself in relationships with players.
"Van Gaal was obsessive about rules. He was the one who wanted me at United. One of the first days in Manchester he took me aside and said: ‘You are here thanks to me. You have my confidence, you will compete with Antonio Valencia, know that the name doesn’t matter to me’. It was like that."
The Dutchman was sacked despite his FA Cup win in 2016 and replaced by Mourinho.
"Mourinho has no other loves apart from winning. I owe him trophies, even a Europa League."
Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte (©AFP)By contrast, Darmian enjoys a strong relationship with Conte after playing for the former Italy boss at Euro 2016.
"It was as if I had never left him. He’s tough and has the same desire as then, to get the best out of the team. How has he improved? Tactically. And as a character. He has great ideas, tactically, he’s a step ahead."
Darmian, now 31, has scored the winner in Inter's last two victories against Cagliari and Verona to see Conte's side go 11 points clear with five games to go. Inter Milan will win their 19th Serie A title this weekend if they beat Crotone and Atalanta do not win against Sassuolo.
