Argentina Megastar Prepares To Face Off Against Old Mentor As Inter Milan Host Napoli In Serie A Six-Pointer | OneFootball

Inter vs Napoli will also be a deeply personal showdown for Lautaro Martinez and Antonio Conte, with the Argentine captain preparing to face his former coach at San Siro.

According to Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, the relationship between Lautaro and Conte has always been intense, productive and at times combustible.

“We loved each other so much, but not completely,” the paper writes.

Indeed, recalling how their shared Inter experience was marked by public disagreements later smoothed over, including the now-famous mock boxing ring skit at Appiano Gentile.

Inter Vs Napoli – Lautaro Faces Old Mentor Conte

COMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 23: SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte looks on before the Serie A match between Como 1907 and SSC Napoli at Stadio G. Sinigaglia on February 23, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The pair will meet again on Sunday night in what was, for two seasons, their shared home.

Before tensions emerged, Conte and Lautaro were fundamental to each other’s growth.

When Lautaro first arrived in Italy under Luciano Spalletti, he was a talented young striker operating alongside Mauro Icardi, but little more.

It was Conte who truly transformed him.

As Tuttosport notes, Conte placed his trust in Lautaro across two seasons, first pairing him with Romelu Lukaku and then gradually handing him a more central role.

That period laid the foundations for the leader Lautaro has since become.

The numbers underline Conte’s importance in Lautaro’s career.

With the current Napoli coach on the bench, the Argentine made 97 appearances and scored 40 goals, making Conte statistically the second most influential coach of his career, behind only Simone Inzaghi.

Their rivalry has reignited in recent times, including a fiery encounter at the Maradona earlier this season sparked by a challenge on Denzel Dumfries.

Now, with the stakes even higher, old bonds give way to competition.

For Inter and Lautaro, Sunday is about points and pride. For Conte, it is another return to a stadium that still carries echoes of unfinished business.