Following a crushing 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Final, Simone Inzaghi has hinted that the match might have been his last in charge of Inter Milan. He stated, “It didn`t feel like my team. We will see over the next few days and sit down with the club.”
This marked Inter`s second Champions League Final appearance in just three years. Unlike the narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester City in Istanbul in 2023, the experience in Munich was drastically different.
Paris Saint-Germain dominated the game from start to finish, securing a decisive 5-0 victory. Goals came from Achraf Hakimi early on, a brace from 19-year-old Desiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and 18-year-old Senny Mayulu.
Inzaghi Acknowledges Poor Inter Display
“This didn`t feel like my Inter. We are the first to admit that, but nothing diminishes my pride in these lads for their journey. We faced a team that deserved to win the match, to win the Champions League, and is probably a better team than we are,” Inzaghi commented to Sky Sport Italia.
“Our initial approach to the game was poor; we conceded early and then became stretched, which made it easier for Paris Saint-Germain. This heavy defeat clearly brings great disappointment, but it doesn`t erase what we achieved to reach this point.”
This result means that Inter, who were in contention for a Treble just a couple of months prior, end the season without any silverware. They finished one point behind Napoli in the Serie A title race, were eliminated in the Coppa Italia semi-final, and lost the Supercoppa Italiana Final to Milan.
“Naturally, we should have performed better, but I won`t forget what the lads did this season. It`s true they finished with zero titles, but they still performed incredibly well. I told them in the dressing room that they should keep their heads held high. There is disappointment tonight, but this group deserves praise.”
Inevitably, questions about Inzaghi`s future are mounting, particularly amid strong reports of a potential €30m per season offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
When asked if he has already decided if this was his final match for Inter, Inzaghi replied, “We will see over the next few days and sit down with the club. After losing a second Final in three years, there is too much disappointment to think clearly right now. There will be time for a calm discussion with the club.”
“The President and directors were always present and stood by our side in the dressing room again this evening.”
Fabio Capello on Sky Sport Italia highlighted Luis Enrique`s tactic of constantly pressing Yann Sommer to prevent Inter from playing out from the back and asked Inzaghi why they didn`t adapt with long balls.
“We did attempt that, but they were also stronger on the second ball, and once we conceded the first goal, we became spread out. Clearly, we should have performed better, played more technically sound football, tidied up our moves, but we didn`t manage to do what we had hoped for tonight,” Inzaghi responded.
Davide Frattesi had scored crucial late goals for Inter this season in the Champions League but remained on the bench throughout the final.
“Davide deserved to feature in the Final, but after I decided to bring on Zalewski for Dimarco, as we weren`t creating much down the left, Calhanoglu and Bisseck were then forced off with injuries when we were already 3-0 down. At that point, I opted for different substitutions,” Inzaghi concluded.
