Anyone who thinks football is a whimsical day-to-day business should take a look around at Calcio. That’s what the Italians call their favorite sport, which is fundamental to how they feel when they wake up in the morning – when they go to bed the world can look very different again. An eternal, wave-like interplay of emotional rashes.
The protagonists are also exposed to this, i.e. the players and coaches who are at the center of this sentimental orchestra. Crescendo instead of diminuendo, the debates about heads are shrill and loud. Especially Simone Inzaghi, the coach of Inter Milan, has been able to sing a song about it in the past. It would have the sound of a farewell blues. It was said recently that Inzaghi was practically rid of his job, and there was already extensive discussion in the media about possible successors.
“Non é da Inter”, the verdict in the comment columns was so devastating: Inzaghi, once a noble joker on the lawn, just doesn’t have the format to lead a world club. It hadn’t passed him by without a trace. The coach seemed tense, exhausted, sometimes absent. As if he had – despite all the obligatory declarations of war – come to terms with his professional fate.
The premier class final is no longer a surreal fever dream for Inter
But now Tuesday evening: Inter won 2-0 at Benfica Lisbon, opening the door to the next round of the Champions League more than just a crack. And who knows what else is possible. In the semifinals it would be either against city rivals AC Milan or SSC Napoli, in a purely Italian duel in which the slight role as favorite might even be the Nerazzurri fell to. In the current calendar year, Inter have already crushed their league rivals, both victories were convincing and deserved. The final in the premier class is suddenly no longer a surreal fever dream. How do you think Inzaghi felt when he woke up on Wednesday morning?
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi (left) saved his job by beating Benfica, coached by Roger Schmidt (right).
(Photo: Pedro Nunes/Reuters)
In any case, the football world looked very different in the Italian gazettes than it had in the past few weeks. “Inzaghissimo!” was the headline Corriere dello Sport, who also thought that Inzaghi had done nothing less than a “masterpiece” the night before. Yes, that’s how it sounds, the crescendo in Calcio: shrill and loud.
The fact that Inzaghi received such criticism was not due to performances in games that took place under floodlights anyway. The coach can play knockout duels, there is no doubt about that: Inzaghi, currently in his second season at Inter, has already won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa twice, i.e. the national cup and supercup. And the fact that the club is finally presenting itself respectably again on the international stage could also be seen in the game against Benfica: On such evenings, Inzaghi reliably manages to focus the focus of his players and create the kind of dominance like only Italian teams can.
Benfica, coached by Germany’s Roger Schmidt, only kept up quite well at first glance – but a closer look revealed that Inter always remained in control of the game. Attentive and organized at the back, dangerous at certain points up front, and particularly pillar players like the goalscorers Nicoló Barella (51st minute) and Romelu Lukaku (82nd/penalty) made opulent performances. Inzaghi then rightly spoke of an “optimal game”. And the criticism? Well yes, replied the coach: Calcio is relentless, but he’s gotten used to it.
Missing the Champions League qualification would have fatal consequences for the Milanese
The deep, fundamental problem of his team is different. Inter lapse into an almost creepy lethargy when less glamorous afternoon meetings come up, such as against clubs like Empoli, La Spezia or Bologna. Ten defeats have already amassed in domestic Serie A, with Inter slipping to fifth – leaving Inzaghi more than ever dependent on compensating for its waning aura with European glory. Only: It is also possible to think about what would happen in the balance sheet of the financially troubled club if the qualification for the next Champions League season were missed. In any case, the Chinese owners of Suning Holding will not pay for the damage: They are only steering Inter on the back burner, the annual losses are being recouped with sales of big names.
Nevertheless, they consider the current Inter squad to be competitive in Italy, an interpretation that is certainly not entirely wrong. But the truth is that the squad planning is so focused on the here and now that this team probably doesn’t have a great future. The average age is enormous, important players have passed their prime, a lot of players have expiring contracts within the next two years.
Inzaghi therefore has the clear task of saving Inter’s present – and his own at the same time.