Inter coach Conte rages at 'insane' fixture list

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Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte

Milan - Conte was unhappy that second-placed Inter hosted Torino last Monday before visiting SPAL on Thursday and then played Roma on Sunday

By Reuters

Published: Mon 20 Jul 2020, 11:43 AM

Last updated: Mon 20 Jul 2020, 1:48 PM

Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte lambasted an "insane" Serie A fixture list after their 2-2 draw at AS Roma on Sunday, saying it had been designed to make life difficult for his side.
Conte was unhappy that second-placed Inter hosted Torino last Monday before visiting SPAL on Thursday and then played Roma on Sunday.
Roma, meanwhile, played their previous game on Wednesday, giving them an extra day to recover.
"Our calendar is insane," said Conte. "It's a calendar designed to cause trouble for Inter... there's a strange anomaly."

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An early lead, a double blow and a late equaliser: a look back at how #RomaInter unfolded this evening ??#FORZAINTER ????????https://t.co/wL07OhhXJg
- Inter (@Inter_en) July 19, 2020

Following a three-month stoppage caused by the new coronavirus, Serie A has been forced to cram the final 12 rounds of matches into six weeks to complete the season by Aug 2.
But each set of games is staggered over two to three days, meaning teams play at uneven intervals.
Leaders Juventus will have a four-day rest between their match at Sassuolo on Wednesday and Monday's game with Lazio.
"You can see we weren't there when they drew up the fixture list," said Conte. "There are other situations where teams have five days off. This is the third game in a row we have played against a team who have had one day off more than us."
He was also unhappy that Inter's last three matches have been 2145 kickoffs local time.
"We are training at 29 degrees Celsius; we return after the games at four o'clock in the morning," he said. "It's always Inter that gets the short straw. It's strange."