Former Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic believes the club’s recent achievements, including reaching two Champions League finals in the past few years, were built on the mentality developed during Antonio Conte’s time in charge.
Conte left Inter in 2021, but Handanovic says the foundations established under the former manager continue to influence the Milan club’s performances. In his view, the team’s current success can be traced back to the winning mindset created during Conte’s spell at the club.
The Slovenian goalkeeper, who retired from football in 2023, considers Conte’s contribution central to Inter’s transformation into a side capable of competing at the highest level in Europe.
Handanovic’s assessment places particular importance on the mentality Conte instilled rather than simply on the results achieved during the manager’s time in charge. He believes that period gave Inter the belief and competitive character required to challenge for major honours after Conte’s departure.
That mentality, Handanovic argues, has remained visible in the club’s subsequent progress. Inter have gone on to appear in two Champions League finals in recent years, an achievement that reflects the lasting effect of the culture formed during Conte’s tenure.
Although Conte no longer leads the team, Handanovic believes his influence is still evident in the way Inter have performed on the European stage. The former goalkeeper therefore regards the current successes of the Milan club as part of a process that began before the latest finals and continued after the manager left in 2021.
Handanovic ended his playing career in 2023. His comments underline the importance he attaches to the foundations created during his time alongside Conte at Inter and to the role those foundations played in restoring the club’s ability to reach the Champions League’s decisive stage.
For the former Inter goalkeeper, the club’s recent progress is not an isolated development. Instead, he credits Conte with creating the mentality that enabled Inter to become a regular contender at the top level and ultimately reach two Champions League finals in the years that followed.
The former Slovenia international’s view is that Inter’s winning identity was shaped during Conte’s reign and remained influential even after the Italian manager’s departure. It is that legacy, he believes, which helped the club sustain its progress and achieve its most significant recent European results.