Cassano questions Conte's ability to commit long-term amid Real Madrid links

Former Real Madrid player Antonio Cassano has discussed the options open to compatriot Antonio Conte following his shock departure from newly crowned Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Since his Inter exit earlier this week, Conte has been placed as the frontrunner for the Bernabéu job after Zinedine Zidane announced he was stepping down, with Madrid having already spoken to the Italian.

While Cassano confirmed that he sees Conte as Madrid’s next manager, he also criticised the Italian coach’s nature, claiming it has affected his ability to commit to clubs long term throughout his career.

"For me, the only option Conte has is Real Madrid. His trajectory at Inter was positive with a good first year and winning the Scudetto in the second, playing his own way,” said Cassano, before questioning the former Chelsea boss’s relationship with the clubs at which he has been.

“Conte has always had problems after a few years in the clubs he has been to and I wonder if there is something that eventually leads to a breakdown in his relationship with the clubs,” Cassano explained.

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Cassano: Zidane is perfect for PSG

"It can’t be a coincidence that it always ends like this and that the clubs never satisfy him. I don't think he can go to PSG because it is a team that doesn’t have the right players for his type of game, nor the game mentality similar to that of Conte. Zidane is perfect for PSG.”

After breaking his ties with Inter, Conte is one of the options favored by Madrid president Florentino Pérez to replace Zidane. While question marks may hang over Conte’s longevity in the jobs he has been in to date, as pointed out by Cassano, Madrid will undoubtedly be looking to his ability to build winning teams, as he has shown this year by winning Serie A with Inter to break Juventus' long standing dominance in Italy.