Cagliari midfielder Radja Nainggolan has revealed that he was really desperate to work under Antonio Conte at Inter.
Nainggolan joined Inter last summer from Roma in a player plus cash deal involving Davide Santon and Nicolo Zaniolo. He had multiple injury issues last season but scored in the club’s final game of the season, taking them to a Champions League spot.
In an interview that Nainggolan gave to DAZN, he talked about how he wanted to stay at Inter and ply his trade under Conte this season.
He said: ”My celebration against Empoli was a bit light. Some believed it was controversial, but it is not. There was so much suffering behind it, it was a relief.
“I did not expect that then I would no longer be an Inter player, we left for the holidays and Marotta had not told me anything. Then I was called to a meeting at the end of June and they told me they would make other choices.
“I would have liked to be coached by Conte, I worked with him a month and in a month I can’t judge anyone but I really saw all his determination.”
Nainggolan was one of the players who was placed on the transfer market by the nerazzurri earlier this summer- like Mauro Icardi. He was loaned out to his former club Cagliari.
Since joining the Sardinia based side, the Belgian has done well. He has appeared in four games even though his debut wasn’t the best in the club’s Serie A opener against Brescia.
