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Two years ago at the Ataturk Olympics (Türkiye), while Simone Inzaghi was immersed in disappointment, Pep Guardiola approached him and told him, "don't be discouraged, you will soon return to the Champions League final in a few years".
That statement woke up the Italian strategist. Indeed, Inter were the better team and created countless problems for the expensive Man City team. They only lost because of a moment of brilliance from Rodri. In other words, the Nerazzurri were not too far from the championship. They just needed to try a little harder.
With patience, Inzaghi reorganized Inter and won the Scudetto in 2023/24. Then appeared in the Champions League final again with spectacular victories over Bayern and Barca. In case the Nerazzurri could not be crowned in Munich, and also suffered the pain of finishing second in Serie A in 2024/25, Inzaghi's position would not be diminished. He still deserves to be the most successful coach in the post-Moratti era.
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Simone Inzaghi sadly received the silver medal after the 2022/23 Champions League final with Man City. |
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However, it is still considered a great achievement for Inter in the context of lack of investment. |
Before Inzaghi, Antonio Conte was the one who led Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years (2020/21 season). However, it must be remembered that the Conte dynasty was backed by a large transfer budget from the Suning Group. When Inzaghi took over the team, the money was running out. Instead of buying, they mainly sold. In the past 4 years, Inter has been the team that earned the most money from player sales (114 million euros).
According to transfermarkt, the total value of Inter's current squad is 663.8 million euros. However, the actual spending on transfers is only 291.3 million. For comparison, PSG's total value is up to 923.5 million, the actual spending on transfers is 700 million.
Unable to make big-money signings, Inzaghi has been forced to settle for cheap or free players, which explains why Inter have the oldest starting XI in Serie A and the Champions League, with 11 players over 30 on the books.
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With his hands tied, Inzaghi still steered the Inter ship in the right direction, to destinations far beyond initial expectations. |
However, Inzaghi has shown his mastery of change. He has made 125 changes to his starting line-up in Serie A this season, the second most in the league. He has transformed Alessandro Bastoni into the most intelligent centre-back in the world , Federico Dimarco into a winger with an extremely consistent form, while midfielders Nicola Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have created incredible versatility. In addition, Yann Sommer has become an impenetrable wall, Marcus Thuram has enjoyed the best season of his career and Lautaro Martinez is on the way to becoming a legend at Giuseppe Meazza.
According to President Giuseppe Marotta, Inzaghi "is a great coach, always finds the right motivation and never causes undue tension, while implementing a modern style of football that makes everyone feel excited".
Recall the final day of Serie A 2024/25, Inter beat Como but Napoli, who spent 148 million euros on transfers last summer, won the championship by one point. Inzaghi left first, leaving the players to taste the pain of second place. Until the next day, he organized a lunch near the training ground and told his players that they needed to remember the defeat to grow, and win next time. This is similar to how Inter overcame the disappointing night in 2023 and returned to conquer the Champions League in 2025.
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Before the match against PSG, Inzaghi said: “Inter will play with the weapons we have, steadfast in the path we have taken. Although the journey has been extremely difficult and full of pitfalls, we are here. Of course, Inter are not satisfied with reaching the final. The players will give their all for the final victory."
In addition, the 49-year-old strategist also reassured Inter fans. Although Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League is ready to roll out the red carpet with a sky-high salary, he will still stay. "I am happy and have everything I need at this club," Inzaghi said.
He doesn’t demand big budgets, nor does he envy other coaches. He likes to work with underrated or out-of-favour players, turn them into better players, and then turn them into champions. It’s tough work, but it’s exciting. And Inzaghi is enjoying it all.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/chung-ket-champions-league-202425-sau-tat-ca-inter-nen-duc-tuong-simone-inzaghi-post1747211.tpo
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