Antonio Conte confronted Lautaro Martinez after the striker kicked out at a water bottle following his substitution during Inter Milan's 3-1 victory over Roma on Wednesday night. Martinez, who had come on as a substitute in the 36th minute for the injured Alexis Sanchez, was replaced by Andrea Pinamonti with 13 minutes remaining after a lacklustre display.
As Martinez trudged off the pitch, he cast a furious glance at Conte before kicking a water bottle, causing those on the Inter bench to duck. Conte immediately turned and berated the striker, saying, 'Have respect! Who are you angry with? Never react like this again,' according to Sky Sport Italia. Martinez then removed his shirt and threw it to the ground in anger.
Inter assistant Cristian Stellini explained that Martinez's removal was due to his performance not meeting the required standard, emphasising that full commitment is expected even after securing the Serie A title. Stellini revealed he had experienced a similar situation 14 years ago when Conte substituted him after 20 minutes while both were at Bari.
Martinez has scored 16 goals in 26 Serie A games this season but has found the net only once in his last seven matches. Inter's win, with goals from Matias Vecino, Marcelo Brozovic, and Romelu Lukaku, extended their lead at the top to 13 points over Atalanta with two games remaining.
