Antonio Conte might have been in the Real Madrid dugout for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Inter were it not for the five words spoken by Sergio Ramos in October 2018.
“Respect is earned, not imposed,” Ramos said, when asked about the prospect of a hard-line coach like Conte taking charge.
His answer was taken as a rejection of Conte’s methods and a rebuke to the idea that Real Madrid’s dressing room was in desperate need of a shake-up.
Until then, Conte, now in charge of Inter, had been the overwhelming favourite to replace Julen Lopetegui, who had just overseen Madrid’s 5-1 defeat by Barcelona in the Clasico and a day later would be sacked.
Instead on the Monday, the day after Ramos spoke to journalists at Camp Nou, the deal was off.