Luciano Spalletti referenced “Robert Redford reasons” with regards to reports on his Inter future and Antonio Conte, hinting at a Deep Throat-style leaker.

The game with Chievo kicks off on Monday at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.

The newspapers have been full of stories over the last few days, suggesting Conte has already agreed terms with the Nerazzurri for next season, even though Spalletti is under contract.

Luciano Spalletti referenced “Robert Redford reasons” with regards to reports on his Inter future and Antonio Conte, hinting at a Deep Throat-style leaker.

The game with Chievo kicks off on Monday at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.

The newspapers have been full of stories over the last few days, suggesting Conte has already agreed terms with the Nerazzurri for next season, even though Spalletti is under contract.

“There are so many rumours that I don’t know which ones you are referring to,” shrugged Spalletti in his Press conference.

“If such important newspapers have been writing for months that I will no longer be here it’s because they have their own Robert Redford reasons. It won’t move our objectives by an inch.”

It’s believed he was referring to Redford’s character in the movie All the President’s Men, playing the real life Washington Post reporter who unveiled the Watergate scandal, largely thanks to leaks from an insider nicknamed Deep Throat.

“I could show you our training sessions, so you’d believe how well my lads are doing. We have only one path forward and that is to win games and bring Inter back into the Champions League.

“This is the objective in my head and that of the players, nothing else. After all, we’re at Inter, you can’t put more pressure on us than we already have. The pressure is always turned up to the max here.”

Spalletti was asked if he’d feel “betrayed” if Inter fired him and he took the club to third place.

“It does not interest me, nor my players, we are only interested in Inter today. Tomorrow night there will be nearly 60,000 people at San Siro and they are there for Inter, not to warm the seat for next season. They are here for this game.

“Our job against Chievo is to win the game by playing better, not by trying to make them worse. The risk is always that we don’t put all the quality we’ve got at our disposal into the performance.

“The Serie A table shows that many high-profile teams were made to struggle and saw points taken off them, deservedly. It’s more balanced and that makes it tougher to tell which way a game will go.”

Marcelo Brozovic and Danilo D’Ambrosio are suspended, with Stefan de Vrij injured, so Roberto Gagliardini could get a rare chance to shine.

“My choices are all made in order to maintain the balance of the team. I have some choices to make tomorrow too. We’ve played and won without Brozovic before this season, so shouldn’t be too concerned.”

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