UEFA Final – Inter Milan advances to the Champions League final
Lautaro Martinez scored late in the second half to give Inter a chance to face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in next month’s final in Istanbul. UEFA Final
Simon Inzaghi has been sidelined for most of the season. His erratic Inter Milan side appear to be planning to end Inzaghi’s tenure as manager if they fail to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. He survived. Most people believe that it is just postponing the inevitable. If Inter lose in the quarter-finals, the ax will fall. UEFA Final
Now, nearly a month later, the shadow that followed Inzaghi for so long has disappeared, leaving only the light. In two games at the San Siro, his Inter side beat their neighbours, rivals and roommates AC. They beat Milan to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 13 years. A 1-0 win on Tuesday and a 3-0 aggregate victory to confirm progression to the final was not only the greatest achievement of his career but also one of the most incredible feats the competition has ever seen. UEFA Final
LuLau with the dagger. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/fsynbEohaK
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 16, 2023
Of course, Inter Milan were nothing more than cannon fodder for ultra-modern giants Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final. But even that poor standing doesn’t fully capture the club’s potential impact in world football’s biggest annual competition.
Advances To The Champions League Final
Over the years, Inter Milan has faced financial problems. This debt is in millions of dollars. The owner, Chinese businessman Steven Zhang, had been considering selling the club for several seasons before the coronavirus pandemic devastated Inter’s accounts.
The club’s empty shirts in the two semi-final games against Milan made clear how desperate the situation was. Inter Milan currently has no major sponsors. Cryptocurrency companies occupying prime advertising real estate failed to pay earlier this year.
The club lacks the star power of most Champions League finalists, a sign of the club’s financial constraints. Apart from captain Lautaro Martinez and midfielder Nicolo Varela, Inter have no other assets desired by the European giants. Instead, Inzaghi had to work with veterans, drifters, optimists and journeymen.
But against Milan, he showed incredible composure and control. With Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring twice in the first 11 minutes at the same venue last week to effectively seal the draw, Milan were rarely in danger of a comeback. Inter Milan may lack glitz and glitz, but few teams in Europe have enough grit and grizzles.
Later, Martinez’s goal sparked massive celebrations among the Inter fans, but in reality they would have booked their flight to Istanbul long before. None of them expected the season to end this way. In Europe at least, McVeit is on the greatest stage of all time. But Inzaghi put them in danger.
