Kolkata: As much as Saturday’s Champions League final is a contest between teams old and young, football’s established order against a club bankrolled by a state, it is also about breaking down a stereotype: that Inter Milan are a typically defensive Italian team. That label cannot stick against a side that scored seven against Barcelona over two matches and 79 goals in Serie A which they failed to defend by one point. New Italian champions Napoli scored 59.
Inter’s first goal against Barcelona came from a Marcus Thuram back-heel and after 12 touches, the second came off an acrobatic volley from a wing-back. Lautaro Martinez is a club legend who has scored 20 goals or more in five of his last six seasons and 19 in the one he did not. His partnership with Marcus Thuram, aiming for a medal his father Lilian does not have, had yielded 13 goals in as many Champions League matches in 2024-25. Thuram has got to his season’s best of 14 goals and seven assists. Heck, even centre-back Francesco Acerbi has ended his goal drought.
Inter can play without the ball and have shown in Serie A that they also have the wherewithal to keep it more than any other side (fbref.com puts it at 59.7%, the highest possession rate in the league). Usually clinical in front of goal, Inter have won at Bayern and scored three at Barcelona. And it is true they conceded only one goal in the league phase. It is also true that this is Inter’s second final in three seasons.
They could have won it against Manchester City in 22-23 but should they do it against a slick Paris St-Germain (PSG) – Opta puts it at 46.4% going to Munich – it would show that Simone Inzaghi is a coach for whom dealing with adversity is as easy as parting his hair down the middle. It will also add to his trophy haul at Inter that includes a Serie A, three Italian Cup and three Italian Super Cup titles. It will mean a first Champions League for Inter since 2010.
“That (Champions League win) would clearly make all the difference in the world,” said Inzaghi on Monday. “The boys have been extraordinary this season because we played 59 games.”
No sooner had Inzaghi, 48, won the Serie A, his first and Inter’s 20th, the club was taken over by US investment firm Oaktree after their Chinese owners Suning had failed to clear debt worth $448mn, as per an AP report. It meant little activity in the summer transfer window. For perspective consider this: PSG have spent over $2.28 billion on players since 2011 after Qatar Sports Investments bought them. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia alone cost €70mn in January. Inter got players on a free.
The average age of Inter’s starting XI on most European nights was over 30, that of PSG was 23.3, according to givemesport.com. Yan Sommer and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are 36 and Acerbi is 37. The oldest PSG player? Marquinhos, 31. Lack of squad depth may have contributed to Inter losing the league and in the Italian Cup but it has also meant that barring Sommer, Thuram and Benjamin
Pavard everyone knows what it is like to lose a Champions League final.
“The club, and above all the players, know that we’re missing that final step to make history,” said Inzaghi. “Obviously already having played the final helps you, but we also know that on the other side there are players who have won the World Cup and have played in other finals, as well as a coach who has already won the Champions League.”
Inzaghi’s first season at Inter in 2021-22, having replaced Antonio Conte, saw the departures of Achraf Hakimi, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen because the Dane’s heart condition forbade him to play in Italy. Yet, Inter lost the league by only two points. Next season, they played the Champions League final, and in 23-24 Inter won Serie A and deserved better than losing on penalties against Atletico Madrid.
No hurdle is high enough if you can get the changing room to smell of team spirit, Inzaghi has said. Now you get it why Opta had predicted that Inter were favourites after Real Madrid and Manchester City to win the competition that was revamped this season.
Inzaghi’s playing days for club and country were spent in the shadow of older brother Filippo, who is a World Cup and Champions League winner. He was born off-side, Alex Ferguson had said of Inzaghi Sr. “Thankfully, I was born a metre on-side,” was Filippo “Pippo” Inzaghi’s riposte to FourFourTwo.
As coaches though it has been the opposite. But it is only when he wins the world’s toughest club competition will Simone Inzaghi get his due as a coach. Ask Pep Guardiola. “Then, well, Pippo and I will ask our parents what was the greatest satisfaction for them,” said Simone Inzaghi.
