How Inter Milan Won its Treble
Bayern Munich manager Louis Van Gaal is not generally a man prone to hyperbole. On the eve of the Champions League final between his team and Italy's Inter Milan he was asked whether the two finalists were the best sides in Europe.
Associated Press
Is Inter Milan coach José Mourinho waving goodbye to his team's fans and hello to those of Real Madrid?
"No," he said, pausing a moment for the briefest of frowns. "No, these are not the best teams. The three best teams in Europe this season were Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United."
Mr. Van Gaal's opinion will, presumably, matter very little to his opposite number, José Mourinho, whose team's 2-0 victory sealed a remarkable season in which they completed the treble: winning the league, domestic cup and Champions League. Mr. Mourinho, at 47, is the youngest manager to have won the biggest competition in club soccer twice and only the third in history to have done so with two different clubs (Ernst Happel did it with Feyenoord and Hamburg, Ottmar Hitzfeld with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern). Mr. Mourinho can also point out that on its way to winning the cup, Inter defeated the champions of England (Chelsea), Spain (Barcelona) and, of course, Germany (Bayern), three of the top leagues in the world.
The reservations some have about Inter's greatness—including Mr. Van Gaal who, in an earlier press conference, described his opponent as "defensive-minded"—lie in the fact that Inter often looks to sit back, absorb pressure and strike on the counterattack. It was a tactic it employed to great success in the semifinal against Barcelona, happily conceding possession of the ball to the opposition and looking to pick its spots on the break.
Mr. Mourinho has brushed off the accusations, insisting that his team is merely "balanced." Saturday night in Madrid's legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium underscored just what he meant. The game followed the script many had predicted, Bayern pushing forward and Inter conceding ground. But when Inter did regain the ball it created chances with ruthless efficiency.
Indeed, both goals came within minutes of possession changes.
Inter's first, in the 35th minute came on the heels of a save by goalkeeper Júlio César, whose immediate punt up the pitch found striker Diego Milito in the Bayern half. Mr. Milito headed the ball to Wesley Sneijder, whose one-touch pass behind the central defenders found the streaking Mr. Milito, who stroked the ball past the Bayern keeper. It was a classic give-and-go, made possible by the fact that Mr. César's quick re-start did not give the Bayern defense time to reset.
The second, some 20 minutes from time, saw Samuel Eto'o lead a textbook counterattack, drawing defenders to him before hitting Mr. Milito on the left wing. What followed was a short skip inside, a shimmy to turn the defender inside out and an elegantly placed far-post finish.
So much for the truism—present in most sports—that you want to keep possession because, when you have the ball, the opposition can't score. Strictly speaking, this may be true, but in a low-scoring game like soccer what happens in the moments immediately after a change in possession is often more important. That's when the previously attacking team is often out of position, with defenders committed forward and gaps which the opposition can exploit. That's what Inter did, with devastating effect.
Of course, for this to work, you have to know how to defend. And, with Mr. Mourinho's input, Inter was one of the best organized teams in recent history. It excelled at denying space in the final third, its players happy to leave the initiative to Bayern, knowing that the opposition's possession would go nowhere as long as they did their job. And crucially, as long as they did their job without committing fouls. Because, in a sport where more than half the goals come from set-pieces (penalties, corner kicks and free kicks), committing too many fouls could have been costly, particularly since Inter did not match up well in terms of size with Bayern. Inter committed just 13 fouls to Bayern's 16, which is remarkable when you consider that it was defending for 40 minutes, 12 seconds (the time Bayern had the ball) to its opponents' 20:39.
That ability to defend without conceding goal-scoring opportunities and free kicks while also being efficient at creating chances when regaining possession is probably exactly what Mr. Mourinho had in mind when he talked about "balance." And he was proved right on the night.
Inter last won the continent's premier club cup competition back in 1965, when it was still called the European Cup (the trophy has remained the same, but now the tournament is called the Champions League) and had not appeared in a final since 1972. In that time, the Milanese club became a by-word for underachievement, often far outspending its rivals, both domestically and abroad, only to come up short on the biggest of stages.
The European Cup had become something of a holy grail to Inter's owner, Massimo Moratti, who bought the club in 1995. Mr. Moratti's father, Angelo, owned the club in the 1960s, when it won consecutive European Cups and was widely regarded as one of the best teams in the world. Having lavished huge sums on players, Mr. Moratti chose to tighten the purse strings in terms of player expenditure, while making Mr. Mourinho the highest paid manager in the world in the summer of 2008 and now, two years on, it has paid dividends.
"Mr. Moratti dreamed about this day for many years. He dreamed of having his picture with the European Cup winning team, just like his father's famous picture," Mr. Mourinho told reporters after the game. "I am so glad that I was able to give him this joy."
But having seemingly done his job at Inter—this year's treble comes on the back of the Serie A title he won last season—Mr. Mourinho looks ready to move on. This time last year he inserted a clause in his contract which allows him to leave by paying a €6 million ($7.54 million) penalty.
And, according to reports across Europe, Mr. Mourinho is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, another European giant punching below its weight. (To be fair, Real's underachievement is a far more recent phenomenon).
"History here has been made," he told Italy's RAI television after the match. "I want to be the first manager to win the Champions League with three different teams...Real Madrid is the only club who wants me."
He was less firm when speaking in his postmatch news conference: "If I start over, it will be here [at Real Madrid]. But we'll have to wait and see. There are things to talk about between myself and the clubs."
We may well find out if Mr. Mourinho's growing reputation as a soccer Mr. Fix-It—swooping in to deliver silverware to underachieving clubs and then departing as abruptly as he arrived—extends to Real Madrid this time next year, when the Champions League final moves to London's Wembley Stadium.
Gabriele Marcotti is the world soccer columnist for The Times of London and a regular broadcaster for the BBC. His column normally appears on Sundays. Write to him atgabriele.marcotti@gmail.com.
Source:wsj.com
Bayern Munich manager Louis Van Gaal is not generally a man prone to hyperbole. On the eve of the Champions League final between his team and Italy's Inter Milan he was asked whether the two finalists were the best sides in Europe.
Associated Press
Is Inter Milan coach José Mourinho waving goodbye to his team's fans and hello to those of Real Madrid?
"No," he said, pausing a moment for the briefest of frowns. "No, these are not the best teams. The three best teams in Europe this season were Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United."
Mr. Van Gaal's opinion will, presumably, matter very little to his opposite number, José Mourinho, whose team's 2-0 victory sealed a remarkable season in which they completed the treble: winning the league, domestic cup and Champions League. Mr. Mourinho, at 47, is the youngest manager to have won the biggest competition in club soccer twice and only the third in history to have done so with two different clubs (Ernst Happel did it with Feyenoord and Hamburg, Ottmar Hitzfeld with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern). Mr. Mourinho can also point out that on its way to winning the cup, Inter defeated the champions of England (Chelsea), Spain (Barcelona) and, of course, Germany (Bayern), three of the top leagues in the world.
The reservations some have about Inter's greatness—including Mr. Van Gaal who, in an earlier press conference, described his opponent as "defensive-minded"—lie in the fact that Inter often looks to sit back, absorb pressure and strike on the counterattack. It was a tactic it employed to great success in the semifinal against Barcelona, happily conceding possession of the ball to the opposition and looking to pick its spots on the break.
Mr. Mourinho has brushed off the accusations, insisting that his team is merely "balanced." Saturday night in Madrid's legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium underscored just what he meant. The game followed the script many had predicted, Bayern pushing forward and Inter conceding ground. But when Inter did regain the ball it created chances with ruthless efficiency.
Indeed, both goals came within minutes of possession changes.
Inter's first, in the 35th minute came on the heels of a save by goalkeeper Júlio César, whose immediate punt up the pitch found striker Diego Milito in the Bayern half. Mr. Milito headed the ball to Wesley Sneijder, whose one-touch pass behind the central defenders found the streaking Mr. Milito, who stroked the ball past the Bayern keeper. It was a classic give-and-go, made possible by the fact that Mr. César's quick re-start did not give the Bayern defense time to reset.
The second, some 20 minutes from time, saw Samuel Eto'o lead a textbook counterattack, drawing defenders to him before hitting Mr. Milito on the left wing. What followed was a short skip inside, a shimmy to turn the defender inside out and an elegantly placed far-post finish.
So much for the truism—present in most sports—that you want to keep possession because, when you have the ball, the opposition can't score. Strictly speaking, this may be true, but in a low-scoring game like soccer what happens in the moments immediately after a change in possession is often more important. That's when the previously attacking team is often out of position, with defenders committed forward and gaps which the opposition can exploit. That's what Inter did, with devastating effect.
Of course, for this to work, you have to know how to defend. And, with Mr. Mourinho's input, Inter was one of the best organized teams in recent history. It excelled at denying space in the final third, its players happy to leave the initiative to Bayern, knowing that the opposition's possession would go nowhere as long as they did their job. And crucially, as long as they did their job without committing fouls. Because, in a sport where more than half the goals come from set-pieces (penalties, corner kicks and free kicks), committing too many fouls could have been costly, particularly since Inter did not match up well in terms of size with Bayern. Inter committed just 13 fouls to Bayern's 16, which is remarkable when you consider that it was defending for 40 minutes, 12 seconds (the time Bayern had the ball) to its opponents' 20:39.
That ability to defend without conceding goal-scoring opportunities and free kicks while also being efficient at creating chances when regaining possession is probably exactly what Mr. Mourinho had in mind when he talked about "balance." And he was proved right on the night.
Inter last won the continent's premier club cup competition back in 1965, when it was still called the European Cup (the trophy has remained the same, but now the tournament is called the Champions League) and had not appeared in a final since 1972. In that time, the Milanese club became a by-word for underachievement, often far outspending its rivals, both domestically and abroad, only to come up short on the biggest of stages.
The European Cup had become something of a holy grail to Inter's owner, Massimo Moratti, who bought the club in 1995. Mr. Moratti's father, Angelo, owned the club in the 1960s, when it won consecutive European Cups and was widely regarded as one of the best teams in the world. Having lavished huge sums on players, Mr. Moratti chose to tighten the purse strings in terms of player expenditure, while making Mr. Mourinho the highest paid manager in the world in the summer of 2008 and now, two years on, it has paid dividends.
"Mr. Moratti dreamed about this day for many years. He dreamed of having his picture with the European Cup winning team, just like his father's famous picture," Mr. Mourinho told reporters after the game. "I am so glad that I was able to give him this joy."
But having seemingly done his job at Inter—this year's treble comes on the back of the Serie A title he won last season—Mr. Mourinho looks ready to move on. This time last year he inserted a clause in his contract which allows him to leave by paying a €6 million ($7.54 million) penalty.
And, according to reports across Europe, Mr. Mourinho is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, another European giant punching below its weight. (To be fair, Real's underachievement is a far more recent phenomenon).
"History here has been made," he told Italy's RAI television after the match. "I want to be the first manager to win the Champions League with three different teams...Real Madrid is the only club who wants me."
He was less firm when speaking in his postmatch news conference: "If I start over, it will be here [at Real Madrid]. But we'll have to wait and see. There are things to talk about between myself and the clubs."
We may well find out if Mr. Mourinho's growing reputation as a soccer Mr. Fix-It—swooping in to deliver silverware to underachieving clubs and then departing as abruptly as he arrived—extends to Real Madrid this time next year, when the Champions League final moves to London's Wembley Stadium.
Gabriele Marcotti is the world soccer columnist for The Times of London and a regular broadcaster for the BBC. His column normally appears on Sundays. Write to him atgabriele.marcotti@gmail.com.
Source:wsj.com
Mourinho to quit Inter Milan for 'record' 40 million pound Real Madrid deal
Madrid, May 23(ANI): Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has agreed to become Real Madrid's new manager after guiding the Italian side to a historic Treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League wins
Mourinho coached Inter Milan to a stunning 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium to win the Champions League title, and became the third man in history to win it with two clubs.
"I want to become the only coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs," The Times Online quoted Mourinho, as saying.
"I believe my target now is to win another championship that I've never won and win Champions League with third club and then come back to England. Everybody knows that English football is my passion and I will go back to England once," he added.
Mourinho, who won the cup with Porto in 2004, joins Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld in earning that remarkable accolade.
According to reports, he will sign a 40 million pound four-year deal, the highest salary ever paid to a football manager.
A contract will also provide a 14.5 million compensation for Inter Milan, which would constitute a record "transfer fee" for a manager. (ANI)
Source:oneindia.in
Inter play in the largest stadium in Italy, the Giuseppe Meazza stadium (also known as San Siro) and train at the Angelo Moratti Sports Center (also known as La Pinetina), a training facility 30 kilometers away in Appiano Gentile, near Como.
History
Early years (1908-1952)
First Inter side to win the scudetto, in 1909–10.
The club was founded on 9 March 1908 as Football Club Internazionale Milano, following a "schism" from the Milan Cricket and Football Club (43 members). A group of Italians and Swiss (Giorgio Muggiani, a painter who also designed the club's logo, Bossard, Lana, Bertoloni, De Olma, Enrico Hintermann, Arturo Hintermann, Carlo Hintermann, Pietro Dell'Oro, Hugo and Hans Rietmann, Voelkel, Maner, Wipf, and Carlo Ardussi) were unhappy about the domination of Italians in the AC Milan team, and broke away from them, leading to the creation of Internazionale. From the beginning, the club was open to foreign players and thus lived up to its founding name.
The club won its very first Scudetto (championship) in 1910 and its second in 1920. The captain and coach of the first Scudetto was Virgilio Fossati, who was killed in World War I.In 1922 Inter were in Group B of the Serie A and came in last place after picking up only 11 points in the season. The last place team of each group was to be automatically relegated. The second last place teams were placed in a pre-relegation 'salvation' tournament. Inter and La Gazzetta dello Sport editor (Colombo) petitioned the FIGC to allow Inter to participate in Serie A the following year as a year in Serie B would have been financially detrimental. The FIGC saved Inter some weeks prior to the season starting by allowing them to remain in Serie A in 1923. In 1928, during the Fascist era, the club was forced to merge with the Milanese Unione Sportiva and was renamed Ambrosiana SS Milano. They wore white shirts around this time with a red cross emblazoned on it. This shirt design was inspired by the flag and coat of arms of the city of Milan, which in turn is derived from the flag of the patron saint of Milan, St. Ambrose and dates back to the 4th century AD. The new upcoming President Oreste Simonotti decided to change name to AS Ambrosiana in 1929. However, supporters continued to call the team "Inter", and in 1931, new president Pozzani caved to shareholder pressure and changed the name to AS Ambrosiana-Inter.
Their first Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) was won in 1938–39, led by Giuseppe Meazza, after whom the San Siro stadium is officially named, and a fifth league championship followed in 1940, despite an injury to Meazza. After the end of World War II the club re-emerged under a name close to their original one, Internazionale FC Milano, which they have kept ever since.
La Grande Inter
Main article: La Grande Inter
Following the war, Internazionale won their sixth championship in 1953 and the seventh in 1954. Following these titles, Inter were to embark upon the best years of their history, affectionately known as the era of La Grande Inter (The Great Inter). During this period with Helenio Herrera as head coach, the club won three league championships in 1963, 1965 and 1966. The most famous moments during this decade also include Inter's two back-to-back European Cup wins. In 1964, Inter won the first of those tournaments, playing against the famous Spanish club Real Madrid. The next season, playing in their home stadium, the San Siro, they defeated two-time former champions Benfica.
Following the golden era of the 1960s, Inter managed to win their 11th league title in 1971 and their twelfth in 1980. Inter were defeated for the second time in five years in the final of the European Cup, going down 2–0 to Johan Cruyff's Ajax in 1972. During the 1970s and the 1980s, Inter also added two Coppa Italias to their tally in 1977–78 and 1981–82.
Led by the German duo of Andreas Brehme and Lothar Matthäus, and Argentine Ramón Díaz, Inter captured the 1989 Serie A championship under coach Giovanni Trapattoni. Fellow German Jürgen Klinsmann and the Italian Supercup were added the following season but to little avail as Inter did not manage to defend their title.
Hard times (1990–2004)
The 1990s were a period of disappointment for the club. While their great rivals Milan and Juventus were achieving success both domestically and in Europe, Inter were left behind, with some mediocre positions in the standings, their worst finishes being in 1993–94 when they were just one point from relegation. Nevertheless, they achieved some European success in that decade with three UEFA Cup victories in 1991, 1994, and 1998.
With Massimo Moratti's takeover from Ernesto Pellegrini in 1995, Inter were promised more success with many high profile signings such as Ronaldo, Christian Vieri, and Hernán Crespo, with Inter twice breaking the world record transfer fee in this period.[citation needed] €19.5 million for Ronaldo from Barcelona in 1997 and €31 million for Christian Vieri from Lazio in 1999. However, the 1990s remained a decade of disappointment and is the only decade in Inter's history in which they failed to win a single Serie A championship. For Inter fans, it was difficult to identify who in particular might be to blame for these troubled times and this led to some icy relations between president, managers, and even some individual players.
Inter chairman Massimo Moratti later became a target for the fans, especially when he sacked much-loved coach Luigi Simoni after only a few games into the 1998–99 season, after having just received the Italian Manager of the Year award for 1998 the day before, Moratti decided to end his contract. In the 1998–99 season Inter failed to qualify for any European competition for the first time in almost 10 years, finishing in a poor eighth place.
In the 1999–00 season, Massimo Moratti made some major changes, once again with some high-profile signings. A major coup for Inter was the appointment of former Juventus manager Marcello Lippi. Inter were seen by the majority of the fans and press to have finally put together a winning formula. Other signings included Angelo Peruzzi and French legend Laurent Blanc together with other former Juventus players Christian Vieri and Vladimir Jugović. Inter were also seen to have an advantage in this season as they had no European "distraction". Once again they failed to win the elusive Scudetto. However, they did manage to come close to their first domestic success since 1989 when they reached the Coppa Italia final only to be defeated by Lazio allowing them to win the Scudetto and domestic cup double.
The following season, more disaster struck. Inter impressed in the Supercoppa Italia match against Lazio and took the lead through new signing Robbie Keane – however, they lost 4–3. Overall, though, they were looking good for the season that was about to start. What followed was another embarrassment as they were eliminated in the preliminary round of the Champions League by Swedish club Helsingborg. Alvaro Recoba was given the opportunity to draw the sides level with a last-minute penalty, yet he missed, saved by the goalkeeper Sven Andersson, and Inter found themselves back at square one as Marcello Lippi, the manager at the time, was sacked after only a single game of the new season following Inter's first ever Serie A defeat to Reggina. Throughout this period, Inter suffered mockery from their neighbours Milan; Milan were having a period of success both domestically and in Europe. They also seemed to be suffering from a series of non-ending defeats at the hands of their city rivals, including an unfortunate 6–0 defeat in the 2000–01 season—their worst "home" result in history. Marco Tardelli, chosen to replace Lippi, failed to improve results, and is remembered by Inter fans as the manager that lost this match. Other members of the Inter squad during this period that suffered were the likes of Christian Vieri and Fabio Cannavaro, both of whom had their restaurants in Milan vandalised after defeats against Milan. Althought the signing of Ivan Cordoba from San Lorenzo, which was an squad improvement for the next years.
Inter fans' protests throughout this period ranged from vandalism to banners being unfurled in the stadium to protest against certain players. In some cases fans arranged for the Curva Nord, a section of the stadium to be empty for entire matches. Inter were in this period often deemed to be one of the favourites for the championship. This led to a popular Milan chant against Inter — "Luglio Agosto" (July and August); this was because during the summer months according to the press Inter had won the championship before it had even begun, only for them not to realise their promise.
In 2002, not only did Inter manage to make it to the UEFA cup semi-finals, they were also only 45 minutes away from capturing the Scudetto, when they needed to maintain a one-goal advantage over Lazio at Rome's Stadio Olimpico in the final match of the season, and Inter were top of the Serie A table at kick-off. However, a defeat would see Juventus, who were second, or even Roma, in third place, take the title from them, should these sides win. As a result, some Lazio fans were actually openly supporting Inter during this match, as an Inter victory would prevent their bitter rivals Roma from winning the championship. Inter were 2–1 up after only 24 minutes. Lazio equalised during first half injury time and then scored two more goals in the second half to clinch victory that eventually saw Juventus win the championship after their 2–0 victory away to Udinese. The date of this match – 5 May 2002 – still haunts Inter.
2002–03 saw Inter take a respectable second place and also managed to make it to the 2003 Champions League semi-finals against Milan. Although they drew on aggregate 1–1 with Milan, Inter lost on the away goals rule, even though both matches were played in the same stadium. It was another disappointment but they were finally on the right track.
However, once again Massimo Moratti's impatience got the better of him, Hernán Crespo was sold after just one season, and Hector Cuper was fired after only a few games. Alberto Zaccheroni stepped in, a life-long Inter fan but also the man who had been in charge of Lazio's 4–2 win over Inter in 2002; the fans were sceptical. Zaccheroni brought nothing new to the side, apart from two fantastic wins over Juventus 3–1 in Turin and 3–2 at the San Siro and the season was again nothing special. They were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the first round after finishing third in the group. Furthermore, they only just managed to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in fourth place, only a point ahead of Parma. Inter's only saving grace in 2003–04 was the arrival of Dejan Stanković and Adriano in January 2004, both solid players that filled the gap left by the departures of Hernán Crespo and Clarence Seedorf.
Resurrection and Italian leadership
On 15 June 2005, Internazionale won the Coppa Italia, defeating Roma in the two-legged final 3-0 on aggregate (1–0 win in Milan and 2–0 win in Rome) and followed that up on 20 August 2005 by winning the Supercoppa Italiana after an extra-time 1–0 victory against original 2004–05 Serie A champions Juventus (before being stripped of this title). This Super Cup win was Inter's first since 1989, coincidentally the same year since Inter last won the Scudetto before 2006. On 11 May 2006, Inter retained their Coppa Italia trophy by once again, defeating Roma with a 4–1 aggregate victory (A 1–1 scoreline in Rome and a 3–1 win at the San Siro).
Inter were awarded the 2005–06 Serie A championship as they were the highest placed side in the season's final league table after points were stripped from Juventus and Milan — both sides being involved in the match fixing scandal that year. On 14 July 2006, the Italian Federal Appeal Commission found Serie A clubs Juventus, Lazio, Fiorentina, Reggina, and Milan guilty of match-fixing and punished the five clubs involved. As a result, with the relegation of Juventus to Serie B (for the first ever time in their history) and the 8-point deduction for city rivals Milan, Inter became favorites to retain their Serie A title for the upcoming 2006–07 Serie A season.
During the season, Inter went on a record-breaking run of 17 consecutive victories in Serie A, starting on 25 September 2006 with a 4–1 home win over Livorno and ending on 28 February 2007 after a 1–1 draw at home to Udinese. The 5–2 away win at Catania on 25 February 2007 broke the original record of 15 matches held by both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid from the "Big 5" (the top flight leagues in England, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany). The run lasted for almost five months and is among the best in European league football, with just Benfica (29 wins), Celtic (25 wins) and PSV (22 wins) bettering it. Inter's form dipped a little as they recorded 0–0 and 2–2 draws against relegation-battlers Reggina and slumping to Palermo (respectively), the latter game featuring a second-half comeback after Palermo went up 2–0 at halftime. They could not keep their invincible form up near the end of the season as well, as they lost their first game of the domestic season to Roma at the San Siro 3–1, thanks to two late Roma goals. Inter had enjoyed an unbeaten Serie A run for just under a year.
On 22 April 2007, Inter were crowned Serie A champions for the second consecutive season after defeating Siena 2–1 at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Italian World Cup winning defender Marco Materazzi scored both goals in the 18th and 60th minute, with the latter being a penalty. Inter started the 2007–08 season with the goal of winning both Serie A and UEFA Champions League. The team started well in the league, topping the table from the first round of matches, and also managed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage; however, a late collapse leading to a 2–0 defeat with 10 men away to Liverpool on 19 February in the Champions League threw into question manager Roberto Mancini's future at Inter, and domestic form took a sharp turn of fortune with the team failing to win in the three following Serie A games (drawing with Sampdoria and major league opponents Roma, before losing away to Napoli, their first domestic defeat of the season). After being eliminated by Liverpool in the Champions League, Mancini then announced his intention to leave his job, only to change his mind the following day.
An improvement in results then gave Inter the chance to wrap up their Scudetto race twice, but a defeat to city rivals Milan and a home draw against Siena catapulted Roma to within just one point of Inter going into the final round of the Championship. Inter then managed to win at Parma thanks to two goals by Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was still recovering from a knee injury and came off the bench to score for his team.
Following this win, the club decided to sack Mancini on 29 May, citing his declarations following the Champions League defeat to Liverpool as the reason. On 2 June, Inter announced on their official website that they had appointed former FC Porto and Chelsea boss José Mourinho as new head coach, with Giuseppe Baresi as his assistant. This made Mourinho the only foreign coach in Italy in the 2008–09 season kick-off. Mourinho made only three additions to the squad during the summer transfer window of 2008 in the form of Mancini,Sulley Muntari[9], and Ricardo Quaresma. Under Mourinho's first season as Inter head coach, the Nerazzurri won an Italian Super Cup and a fourth consecutive title, being, however, also eliminated from the Champions League in the first knockout round for a third consecutive time, losing to Manchester United. In winning the league title for the fourth consecutive time, Inter joined Torino and Juventus as the only teams to do this and the first to accomplish this feat in the last 60 years.
In the 2009–10 season, Inter enjoyed more luck at European stage by managing to progress to the quarter-finals by eliminating Mourinho's former team Chelsea in a 3–1 aggregate win, the first time in three years that the Nerazzurri qualify from the first knockout round. Inter has also progressed to the semi-finals of the 2009–10 champions league by beating CSKA Moscow 2-0 on aggregate, winning both the home and away legs as they did with Chelsea.Successively, Inter managed to achieve a 3–1 win against incumbent champions Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. In the second leg, a resolute Inter lost 1-0 but progressed 3-2 on aggregate to their fifth European Cup/Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. They won the match 2-0, thanks to two goals from Diego Milito and were crowned champions of Europe. Inter also won the 2009-2010 national title, by two points over Roma, and the 2010 Coppa Italia, also against Roma, by defeating them 1-0 in the final.
Other historical information
Internazionale have never been relegated from the Italian top flight in their entire history, which dates back all the way to 1908; a fact Nerazzurri fans hold in high regard. By comparison, Milan have been relegated twice. As of 2006, following Juventus' relegation to Serie B for the 2006–07 season following the Calciopoli scandal, Inter is the only Italian club that holds this honour, and its century in the top flight is one of the longest unbroken runs of any club in the world.
The current president and owner of Internazionale is Massimo Moratti. His father Angelo was the president of Inter during the club's golden era of the 1960s.
Colours, badge and nicknames
Previous badge.
The Inter Logo
One of the founders of Inter, a painter named Giorgio Muggiani, was responsible for the design of the first Inter logo in 1908. The first design incorporated the letters 'FCIM' in the center of a series of circles that formed the badge of the club. The basic elements of the design have remained constant even as finer details have been modified over the years. In 1998, the club came out with a brand-new iteration of the club crest, sticking to the original design while adding minor aesthetic updates.
Colors
Ambrosiana Inter Kit
Since its founding in 1908, Inter have worn black and blue stripes. It is rumored that black was chosen to represent night and blue was chosen to represent the sky. Aside from a short period during the World War II, Inter continued to wear the black and blue stripes, earning them the nickname Nerazzurri. For a period of time, however, Inter was forced to abandon their black and blue uniforms. In 1928, Inter's name and philosophy made the ruling Fascist Party uneasy. As a result, during the same year the 20-year-old club was merged with Unione Sportiva Milanese. The new club was named Ambrosiana SS Milano after the patron saint of Milan. The flag of Milan (the red cross on white background) replaced the traditional black and blue. After World War II when the Fascists had fallen from power the club reverted to their original name and colors. In 2008, Inter celebrated their centenary with a red cross on their away shirt. Reminiscent of the flag of their city, the pattern continues to be used on their third kit to this day.
The Serpent
Animals are often used to represent football clubs in Italy, the grass snake, called Il biscione or Serpente representing Inter. The snake is an important symbol for the city of Milan, appearing often in Milanese heraldry as a coiled viper with a man in its jaws. The symbol is famous for its presence on the coat of arms of the House of Sforza (who ruled over Italy from Milan during the Renaissance period), the city of Milan, the historical Duchy of Milan (a 400 year state of the Holy Roman Empire), and Insubria (a historical regional area which the city of Milan falls within). For the 2010-11 season Inter's away kit will feature the serpent.
Current squad
See F.C. Internazionale Milano season 2009-10 for further information.
Players
As of February 1, 2010.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player
1 GK Francesco Toldo
2 DF Iván Córdoba (vice-captain)
4 DF Javier Zanetti (captain)
5 MF Dejan Stanković
6 DF Lúcio
7 MF Ricardo Quaresma
8 MF Thiago Motta
9 FW Samuel Eto'o
10 MF Wesley Sneijder
11 MF Sulley Muntari
12 GK Júlio César
13 DF Maicon
15 MF Rene Krhin
No. Position Player
17 MF McDonald Mariga
19 MF Esteban Cambiasso
21 GK Paolo Orlandoni
22 FW Diego Milito
23 DF Marco Materazzi
25 DF Walter Samuel
26 DF Cristian Chivu
27 FW Goran Pandev
39 DF Davide Santon
45 FW Mario Balotelli
51 GK Vid Belec
89 FW Marko Arnautović (on loan from Twente)
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player
GK Enrico Alfonso (at Modena, co-owned with Chievo)
GK Giacomo Bindi (at Foggia)
GK Luca Stocchi (at Piacenza)
DF Nicolás Burdisso (at Roma)
DF Nicolas Desenclos (at Eupen)
DF Dennis Benjamin Esposito (at Monza)
DF Andrea Mei (at Lumezzane)
DF Jean Mbida (at Como)
DF Nemanja Mitrović (at Sassuolo)
DF Daniele Pedrelli (at Cesena)
DF Rincón (at Piacenza)
DF Nelson Rivas (at Livorno)
DF Juri Toppan (at Catania)
MF Philippe Coutinho (at Vasco da Gama)
MF Attila Filkor (at Gallipoli)
No. Position Player
MF Luis Jiménez (at Parma, co-owned with Ternana)
MF Milan Jirásek (at Sassuolo)
MF Matteo Lombardo (at Villacidrese)
MF Samuele Longo (at Piacenza)
MF Mancini (at Milan)
MF Gabriele Puccio (at Portosummaga)
MF Luca Siligardi (at Triestina)
FW Riccardo Bocalon (at Portosummaga)
DF Cristian Daminuţă (at Dinamo Bucureşti)
FW Alberto Gerbo (at Ancona)
FW Kerlon (at Ajax)
MF Gianluca Litteri (at Vicenza)
FW Aiman Napoli (at Modena)
FW Victor Obinna (at Málaga)
FW David Suazo (at Genoa)
Primavera
Main article: F.C. Internazionale Milano Primavera
Non-playing staff
Position Staff
Head coach José Mourinho
Assistant coach Giuseppe Baresi
Fitness coach
Technical Assistant Rui Faria
Technical Assistant José Morais
Technical Assistant Daniele Bernazzani
Goalkeeper coach Silvino Louro
Chief of Medical Staff Franco Combi
Doctor Giorgio Panico
Masseurs
Physiotherapists Marco Dellacasa
Masseurs
Physiotherapists Massimo Dellacasa
Masseurs
Physiotherapists Andrea Galli
Masseurs
Physiotherapists Luigi Sessolo
Masseurs
Physiotherapists Alberto Galbiati
Technical Director Marco Branca
First-Team Representative Gabriele Oriali
Last updated: 20 October 2009
Source: F.C. Internazionale Milano Official Website
Retired numbers
Main article: Retired numbers in football
3 – Giacinto Facchetti, left back, 1960–1978 (posthumous honour). The number was retired on 8 September 2006. The last player to wear the shirt was Argentinian center back Nicolas Burdisso, who took on the number 16 shirt for the rest of the season.
Noted players
For a more detailed list, see List of F.C. Internazionale Milano players. For a list of all former and current Inter players with a Wikipedia article, see.
Presidential history
Inter have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents. Here is a complete list of them.
Name Years
Giovanni Paramithiotti 1908–1909
Ettore Strauss 1909–1910
Carlo de Medici 1910–1912
Emilio Hirzel 1912–1914
Luigi Ansbacher 1914
Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone 1914–1919
Giorgio Hulss 1919–1920
Name Years
Francesco Mauro 1920–1923
Enrico Olivetti 1923–1926
Senatore Borletti 1926–1929
Ernesto Torrusio 1929–1930
Oreste Simonotti 1930–1932
Ferdinando Pozzani 1932–1942
Carlo Masseroni 1942–1955
Name Years
Angelo Moratti 1955–1968
Ivanoe Fraizzoli 1968–1984
Ernesto Pellegrini 1984–1995
Massimo Moratti 1995–2004
Giacinto Facchetti 2004–2006
Massimo Moratti 2006–present
Managerial history
F.C. Internazionale Milano managers
In Internazionale's history, 55 coaches have coached the club. The first manager was Virgilio Fossati and the current manager is José Mourinho, who was appointed on 2 June 2008. Helenio Herrera had the longest reign as Internazionale coach, with nine years (eight consecutive) in charge, and is the most successful coach in Inter history with three Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cup wins.
José Mourinho, current manager of Inter
Name Nationality Years
Virgilio Fossati 1909–1915
Nino Resegotti
Francesco Mauro 1919–1920
Bob Spotishwood 1922–1924
Paolo Schiedler 1924–1926
Árpád Weisz 1926–1928
József Viola 1928–1929
Árpád Weisz 1929–1931
István Tóth 1931–1932
Árpád Weisz 1932–1934
Gyula Feldmann 1934–1936
Albino Carraro 1936
Armando Castellazzi 1936–1938
Tony Cargnelli 1938–1940
Giuseppe Peruchetti 1940
Italo Zamberletti 1941
Ivo Fiorentini 1941–1942
Giovanni Ferrari 1942–1945
Carlo Carcano 1945–1946
Nino Nutrizio 1946
Giuseppe Meazza 1947–1948
Carlo Carcano 1948
Dai Astley 1948
Giulio Cappelli 1949–1950
Aldo Olivieri 1950–1952
Alfredo Foni 1952–1955
Aldo Campatelli 1955
Giuseppe Meazza 1955–1956
Annibale Frossi 1956
Luigi Ferrero 1957
Giuseppe Meazza 1957
Jesse Carver 1957–1958
Giuseppe Bigogno 1958
Aldo Campatelli 1959–1960
Camillo Achilli 1960
Name Nationality Years
Giulio Cappelli 1960
Helenio Herrera 1960–1968
Alfredo Foni 1968–1969
Heriberto Herrera 1969–1971
Giovanni Invernizzi 1971–1973
Enea Masiero 1973
Helenio Herrera 1973
Enea Masiero 1974
Luis Suárez 1974–1975
Giuseppe Chiappella 1976–1977
Eugenio Bersellini 1977–1982
Rino Marchesi 1982–1983
Luigi Radice 1983–1984
Ilario Castagner 1984–1986
Mario Corso 1986
Giovanni Trapattoni 1986–1991
Corrado Orrico 1991
Luis Suárez 1992
Osvaldo Bagnoli 1992–1994
Giampiero Marini 1994
Ottavio Bianchi 1994–1995
Luis Suárez 1995
Roy Hodgson 1995–1997
Luciano Castellini 1997
Luigi Simoni 1997–1998
Mircea Lucescu 1998–1999
Luciano Castellini 1999
Roy Hodgson 1999
Marcello Lippi 1999–2000
Marco Tardelli 2000–2001
Héctor Raul Cúper 2001–2003
Corrado Verdelli 2003
Alberto Zaccheroni 2003–2004
Roberto Mancini 2004–2008
José Mourinho 2008–
Supporters and rivalries
Inter created display in their curva at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter is one of the most supported clubs in Italy, according to an August 2007 research by Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Historically, the largest section of Inter fans from the city of Milan have been the middle-class bourgeoisie Milanese, while AC Milan fans are typically working-class and a significant portion are migrants from Southern Italy.
The traditional ultras group of Inter is Boys San; they hold a significant place in the history of the ultras scene in general due to the fact that they are one of the oldest, being founded in 1969. Politically, the ultras of Inter are usually considered right-wing and they have good relationships with Lazio. As well as the main group of Boys San, there are four more significant groups: Viking, Irriducibili, Ultras, and Brianza Alcoolica.
Inter's most vocal fans are known to gather in the Curva Nord, or north curve of the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. This longstanding tradition has led to the Curva Nord being synonymous with the club's most die-hard supporters, who unfurl banners and wave flags in support of their team.
Inter fans celebrating in 2007.
Inter have several rivalries, two of which are highly significant in Italian football; firstly, they participate in the inter-city Derby della Madonnina with AC Milan; the rivalry has existed ever since Inter splintered off from Milan in 1908.The name of the derby refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose statue atop the Milan Cathedral is one of the city's main attractions. The match usually creates a lively atmosphere, with numerous (often humorous or offensive) banners unfolded before the match. Flares are commonly present, but they also led to the abandonment of the second leg of the 2005 Champions League quarter-final matchup between Milan and Inter on 12 April after a flare thrown from the crowd by an Inter supporter struck Milan keeper Dida on the shoulder.
The other most significant rivalry is with Juventus; the two participate in the Derby d'Italia. Up until the 2006 Serie A match-fixing scandal, which saw Juventus relegated, the two were the only Italian clubs to have never played below Serie A. Clubs such as Bologna, Atalanta, and Roma are also considered to be amongst their rivals.
Honours
National titles
Serie A:
Winners (18): 1909–10; 1919–20; 1929–30; 1937–38; 1939–40; 1952–53; 1953–54; 1962–63; 1964–65; 1965–66; 1970–71; 1979–80; 1988–89; 2005–06[21]; 2006–07; 2007–08; 2008–09, 2009–10
Runners-up (13): 1932–33; 1933–34; 1934–35; 1940–41; 1948–49; 1950–51; 1961–62; 1963–64; 1966–67; 1969–70; 1992–93; 1997–98; 2002–03
Coppa Italia:
Winners (6): 1938–39; 1977–78; 1981–82; 2004–05; 2005–06; 2009–10
Runners-up (6): 1958–59; 1964–65; 1976–77; 1999–00; 2006–07; 2007–08
Supercoppa Italiana:
Winners (4): 1989; 2005; 2006; 2008
Runners-up (3): 2000; 2007; 2009
International titles
The following titles include only those which are recognised by UEFA and FIFA.
European titles
European Cup/UEFA Champions League:
Winners (3): 1963–64; 1964–65; 2009–10
Runners-up (2): 1966–67; 1971–72
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League:
Winners (3): 1990–91; 1993–94; 1997–98
Runners-up (1): 1996–97
Regional international titles
Mitropa Cup:
Runners-up (1): 1932-33
World-wide titles
Intercontinental Cup:
Winners (2): 1964, 1965
Individual honours
FIFA World Player of the Year
The following players have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award while playing for FC Internazionale Milano:
2002 – Ronaldo
1997 – Ronaldo
1991 – Lothar Matthäus
Ballon d'Or/European Footballer of the Year
The following players have won the Ballon d'Or award while playing for FC Internazionale Milano:
1997 – Ronaldo
1990 – Lothar Matthäus
World Soccer Player of the Year
The following players have won the World Player of the Year award while playing for FC Internazionale Milano:
2002 – Ronaldo
1997 – Ronaldo
1990 – Lothar Matthäus
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
The following players have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award while playing for Internazionale:
1997–98 – Ronaldo
FC Internazionale Milano as a company
Club President Massimo Moratti has outlined plans to build a new stadium in time for the 2012-2013 Serie A season in order to boost commercial and game day revenues as well as for use at UEFA Euro 2016. Inter's current stadium, the Giuseppe Meazza is owned by the city of Milan, which takes about half of the revenue earned from game day tickets.
According to The Football Money League published by consultants Deloitte, in the 2008-09 season, Inter recorded revenues of €196.5 million, ranking 9th place behind Juventus and ahead of AC Milan in the rankings. The club beat their previous season earnings of €172.9 million by a significant margin and are one spot higher this season than last. For the first time since The Football Money League's inception, Inter have beaten city rivals AC Milan in the rankings.
Revenue percentages were divided up between matchday (14%, €28.2m), broadcasting (59%, €115.7m, +7%, +€8m) and commercial (27%, €52.6m, +43%, €15.8m). Kit sponsors Nike and Pirelli contributed €18.1m and €9.3m respectively to commercial revenues, while broadcasting revenues were boosted €1.6m (6%) by Champions League distribution.
For the 2010/2011 season, Serie A clubs will start negotiating club TV rights collectively rather than individually. This is predicted to result in lower broadcasting revenues for Inter, with smaller clubs gaining from the loss.
Inter's matchday revenues amounted to only €1.1m per home game, compared to €2.6m among the top six earners.
Deloitte expressed the idea that issues in Italian football, particularly matchday revenue issues were holding Inter back compared to other European giants, and developing their own stadia would result in Serie A clubs being more competitive on the world stage.
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