Former Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic says Antonio Conte’s strict attitude towards training was so uncompromising that even arranging a visit to the dentist could become difficult during the manager’s first year at the club.
Handanovic described the challenge of missing training while working under Conte, saying the manager strongly disliked players being absent from sessions, even when they had what would normally be considered a valid reason.
“Conte sometimes would not even let me go to the dentist because of training,” Handanovic said.
The former goalkeeper was speaking about his first season working with Conte at Inter, where the manager’s approach meant that attendance at training was treated as a serious matter.
Handanovic’s comments highlight the intensity of Conte’s demands and the importance he placed on players being present for every session. According to the former Inter captain, those expectations could extend even to personal appointments, including dental treatment.
The issue was not presented as a dispute over the reason for missing training. Rather, Handanovic said the difficulty came from Conte’s reluctance to allow players to be away from the squad, even for reasons such as a visit to the dentist.
Handanovic played for Inter from 2012 to 2023, making him one of the club’s long-serving players. His remarks relate specifically to the first year of his work with Conte and offer an insight into the manager’s demanding approach during that period.
Conte’s training methods, as recalled by Handanovic, left little room for players to miss sessions. Even an appointment that could be regarded as necessary had to be considered in the context of the team’s schedule and the manager’s expectations.
The former Inter goalkeeper’s account centres on a simple but striking example: the prospect of being unable to attend a dental appointment because it conflicted with training. It illustrates how strongly Conte opposed players missing sessions, regardless of the reason.
Handanovic remained at Inter until 2023, having joined the club in 2012. His time with the Italian side therefore covered more than a decade, including the period in which he worked with Conte.
The dentist story is one of the details he has recalled from that first year under the manager, when Conte’s insistence on full participation in training created difficulties even around routine personal commitments.
