JAKARTA - Antonio Conte has revealed he rejected Real Madrid twice in the past because he was not willing to coach the team in the middle of competition.
The Inter Milan coach will face Los Blancos on Tuesday, November 3 in the Champions League match at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano in Valdebebas at 21:00 local time.
"I am focused on Inter and I'm happy," Conte told the press before the match reported by MARCA on the same day. "We created something important."
"The opportunity (to coach Real Madrid in the past) came, but the situation is not yet ripe. I appreciate it.
"I almost coached Madrid a few times, but I think the season has started and it will be complicated. I explained that when they called me."
Apart from that, Sergio Ramos may also be the reason why Conte is not the coach at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Conte's name has been heavily linked to the position following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui following Real Madrid's 5-1 defeat to Barcelona.
"Respect is earned, not forced," said the captain when asked about Conte's possible arrival, and the club instead appointed Santiago Solari.
Meanwhile, Inter have only managed to pick up two points in their first two Champions League games of the season. Despite playing against great European powers, Conte wants his team to win in the Spanish capital.
"In every game we need to get points, to win," added Conte. "There are situations where with the strength of your opponent you measure yourself against a team, like this, built to win the Champions League.
"There is no team like Real Madrid. This is not recreation. We will play to suffer and we are ready for that. We will not be cornered to take a beating. We will face them without fear, as usual."
Conte continued his comments by praising Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and revealing that he has a great relationship with the Frenchman.
"(Zidane is) a wonderful man, a great man, I have a great relationship with him," said Conte.
Conte and Zidane played together at Juventus in the 1996-2001 period. The two of them contributed six titles to The Old Lady; Serie A 1996–97 and 1997–98, Supercoppa Italiana 1997, UEFA Super Cup 1996, Intercontinental Cup 1996, and UEFA Intertoto Cup 1999.
Zidane moved to Real Madrid and retired in the Spanish capital in 2006, while Conte ended his career in Turin two years before Zidane. Now they will face each other as coaches.
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