Forza Inter! Musings From Fan and Scholar Perspectives

As much as I enjoy watching soccer, I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard fan. This past year, there were the occasional Liverpool vs. Manchester City games with some World Cup matches sprinkled in, but these are the “big dogs,” the games that everyone with somewhat of an interest in soccer watches. I didn’t fully appreciate how much soccer meant until I took the Honors College Signature Seminar “Globalization of Soccer,” taught by Todd Cleveland, professor of history. I learned about teams beyond FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and insert famous European clubs here—teams like the Celtics, Rangers, and Red Star Belgrade. Here, I will explore a team not commonly thought of as “great.” A lesser-known team, albeit relatively popular, but not a household name like Chelsea or Arsenal. This team is Inter Milan, and I will examine it from fan and scholar perspectives.

Scholar’s View on Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, known as Inter, is a professional Italian soccer club housed in Milan, Lomardy, and is the only Italian team never relegated to Serie B. The team was founded on March 9, 1908, as an offshoot of the AC Milan Football and Cricket Club after an internal disagreement over the signing of foreign players. While Milan was focusing exclusively on Italian players, the breakaway group from Milan wanted a team that accepted players of all nationalities; thus, the name Internazionale.

Virgilio Foassati I was Inter’s first captain/manager. In 1910, he led the team to win their first Italian football Championship, the title now known as “Scudetto,” against Pro Vercelli. Unfortunately, his career abruptly ended due to World War I, where he died in battle. Not only did World War I impact the team, but World War II also had significant effects, maybe even more so.

The National Fascist Party took over in 1922, forcing Inter to merge with Unione Sportiva to align with the fascist party’s desire to strengthen the Italian national identity. The team became known as Societa Sportiva Milanese. The new chair in 1929, Oreste Simonotti, changed the name to Associazione Sportiva Ambrosiana. People still called the team Inter, so in 1931, another name change resulted in Associazione Sportiva Ambrosiana-Inter. Eventually, with the conclusion of WWII, the club regained its original title.

With said changes in team names came changes in their logo as well. There are 15 different Inter Milan logos. The original logo was designed by Giorgio Muggiani, one of the founding members of Inter, who also happened to be an artist. The design featured gold representing the stars, blue representing the sky and black representing the night. A quote from the founders of Inter beautifully sums up the logo, “This wonderful night bestows us with the colors of our crest: black and azure against a gilded backdrop of stars. It shall be called International because we are brothers of the world.” The latter is why Inter is commonly called “Nerazzurri,” which means “the black and blues.” The crest changed the fascist regime, showing the Fascist beam on a blue background, the Visconti shield, and the red cross shield of Milan. However, this only lasted the 1928-29 season, and the current logo greatly resembles the original.

Inter’s history in terms of wins has been tumultuous, with some awe-inspiring feats accomplished. The first “era” to discuss is Grande Inter with manager Helenio Herrera where they won three league titles (1963,1965, 1966) and two European Cups (1964,1965). The 1965 season put Inter on the map as the only Italian team to have won the Scudetto, European Cup, and European/South American Cup in one season. Herrara joined Inter in 1960 from Barcelona. He exploited the 5-3-2 formation and modified the “door bolt” tactic to increase counterattack flexibility. This involved shifting a midfielder back to the defensive line to intercept balls and stop the opposition. Herrera became known as “Il Mago” (the Wizard) for his incredible work elevating Inter’s status.

The post-Herrera era was disappointing. Rivals Milan and Juventus were succeeding domestically and internationally, leaving Inter behind. The most alarming domestic league standing for Inter was in 1993-94, finishing just one point out of the relegation zone. In attempts to mediate shortcomings, Inter paid $21 million for Ronaldo and $30 million for Vieri, breaking the world record for transfer fees, yet remaining stagnant for a decade in the 1990s, not winning a single Serie A championship. The following seasons saw many management changes as well as player transfers. However, the results were almost always near-wins.

In 2006, the Calciopoli Scandal shook Italian soccer. Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio were accused and found guilty of match-fixing, resulting in the relegation of Juventus to Serie B and being stripped of their 2004-05 and 2005-06 Scudettos. The latter Scudetto was given to Inter, who came in third that year after Juventus and AC Milan. Juventus has appealed many times to revoke Inter’s 2006 Scudetto because they, too, were involved in the scandal. Although said findings were factual, the case is out of statute according to Italy’s Statute of Limitations, where there is a maximum of five years after the said event took place for legal proceedings to occur.

Mourinho entered in 2008, beginning the facelift Inter so desperately needed. Mourinho won a Serie A title in his first season in charge but fell through in the Champions League. This could have boded better for him. Mourinho wanted to translate domestic success into international. He did so with a series of intelligent transfer moves and tactical changes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was swapped for Samuel Eto’o, a risky move with high investment returns. Mourinho would go on to form a team that was fluid in transition and situation, disciplined in defense, and efficiently able to be compact. One of the biggest successes of that season was Mourinho’s ability to outsmart Pep Guardiola in the Champions League semifinal by tactically positioning his players to trap Messi and stop the creation of chances. Inter played against Bayern Munich in the final with the same agility and compactness seen throughout the season. Inter won 2-0 in the Champions League, as well as a Serie A victory against Roma, and to cap it off, the 2010 Coppa Italia. Mourinho led Inter to become the first and only Italian club to capture the “Treble.”

Herrera and Mourinho could be considered legendary coaches for Inter. The player equivalents include but are not limited to, Meazza, Matthaus, Ronoldo “Fenomeno” and Zanetti. Giuseppe Meazza led Inter to win their first Coppa Italia in the 1938-39 season. He is one of Inter’s leading goalscorers with 284 goals. His play was about placement and timing, and his elegance was refreshing when soccer was still purely physical, and the latter contributed to Inter naming their stadium in his honor. Lothar Matthaus, a German midfielder, played box-to-box and could score numerous goals. He is described by These Football Times as “quick, powerful, elusive, and technically supreme.” Matthaus was able to lift the performances of those around him. He helped Inter win the Scudetto in the 1988-89 season, the last league title Inter won until the late-90s. Ronaldo “Fenomeno” was a Brazilian striker deemed a “nightmare for defenders” by Cult of Calcio. His exceptional dribbling skills and rapid change of pace won Inter the UEFA Cup in the 1997-98 season. His play at Inter earned him the nickname “Fenomeno” among Italians. Lastly, Argentinian Xavier Zanetti was an indispensable center-midfielder for Inter. Zanetti was highly versatile, able to play half the positions adeptly. Zanetti won five Serie A titles and the 2010 Champions League, playing a part in Mourinho’s treble.

As we can see, Inter nurtured some of the greatest soccer players and managers in soccer history. Still, the team also nurtures a considerable spirit of competition, arguably bringing out the best (and possibly even the worst) in the managers and players. As was mentioned previously, Inter Milan was an offshoot of AC Milan. Naturally, these two teams have become the impetus of the fiercest competition in soccer: the Derby della Madonnina. The first Inter vs. AC Milan game was the Lombardy Cup semifinal on January 18, 1909. Inter won 3-0, setting the foundation for a bitter rivalry. Over the years, there have been switches in dominance among the two teams, with Inter in a stronghold in the early years of the Derby and AC Milan dominating during the Post-World War II Era. Today, tensions have arisen, especially considering transfers and top-player buyouts, new investments/investors, and Italian teams challenging the top spots in Italian Football. It is also worth mentioning that AC Milan and Inter share a stadium, adding another layer to the rivalry. Fans are constantly contesting the rightful claim to the stadium. Speaking of fans, we will now shift our discussion of Inter Milan to be viewed from a fan’s perspective.

Fan’s View on Inter Milan

Inter had quite the 2021-2022 season, with the trend carrying into their 2022-2023 season. Inter not only plays domestically but also in many European club competitions. Domestically, Inter advanced through Round 16 of the 2021-2022 Coppa Italia, beating 14th-ranked Serie A team Empoli, to face off with Roma in the quarterfinals, ultimately championing their way through to the finals, beating defending champions and predicted-to-win Juventus 4-2. Inter took the lead early on from a 25-yarder made by midfielder Nicolo Barella. Juventus then equalized and got the lead by putting two goals past then-keeper Samir Handanovic. Hakan Calhangolu made it 2-2 with a penalty, taking the game into extra time, with Perisic scoring two goals, solidifying Inter’s win. This win allowed Inter to advance to the Super Coppa Italia in the 2022-2023 season.

The 2022-2023 Italian Supercup was a special Derby della Madonnina played in King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 18, 2023. Inter won their 7th Supercoppa title in this 3-0 win against AC Milan. Dimarco scored the first goal after 10 minutes when he ran into the box unmarked and tapped in Nicolo Barella’s cross. The second goal was obtained by Dzeko, who wrong-footed Milan’s Sandro Tonali and fired into the bottom right corner from inside the box at 21 minutes. Capping it off, Martinez scored the final shot in the 77th minute with a curled left-footed shot. Inter had an aggressive, concentrated and goal-oriented play that ultimately led to victory.

Italian season play is packed, as Inter not only partook in the Super Coppa but had been playing in Serie A, which began on Aug. 13, 2022, and the European Champions League, with their first game against Bayern Munich on Sept. 7, 2022. Serie A marks a turbulent stretch for Inter this season, as it is the qualifier for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Serie A for the 2021-2022 season had Inter ranked 2nd and AC Milan ranked first, securing both teams’ places in the ongoing Champions League tournament. However, Inter has played 30 games so far in Serie A, with 16 games won, 11 lost and three tied. They have made 48 goals, conceded 34 and currently sit at 6th in the rankings. They have yet to win any of their last five games, and Lautaro Martinez, Argentinian World Cup champion, has had a dry patch in scoring, with none of his 19 on-target shots hitting home.

However, Inter has been doing quite well in the Champions League. Inter reached the knockouts playing groups like Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Recently, they beat Benfica 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals; impressive because Benfica has lost only two games all season long, and Inter had that stretch of losses mentioned above. The two teams met again for the second leg of the quarterfinals, with the final score ending in a 3-3 tie but an aggregate 5-3 win for Inter. This is historic as it marks the first time Inter has reached the semis since 2010. Their next game is with none other than AC Milan—another Derby della Madonnina.

According to the FiveThirtyEight supercomputer, AC Milan has a narrow shot of winning the first leg, whereas only a 29 percent chance of winning the second. This puts Inter at a 55% chance of making it to the final compared to Milan’s 45 percent. My Bookie’s DS Williamson gave more reasoning as to why Inter has a better chance of beating AC Milan, citing reasons such as Milan not having Inter’s number in terms of players. Inter boasts strikers such as Martinez, Correa, Barella and Lukaku. Inter’s defense could be better but impenetrable when on. Based on this information and the Super Coppa Italia match between Milan and Inter, I’m leaning more towards Inter taking this match, only because they’ve proved they could do it before, albeit in a different competition. It is hard to tell because their Serie A play has been less than average.

This puts fans in constant anxiety, as echoed by numerous Instagram comments and Reddit posts I stumbled upon after game wins and losses. One such comment is, “Finally a Sunday without suicidal/homicide instincts…thank you!” Moreover, Inter Milan Ultras, called the “Curva Nord,” wrote a post on their official Facebook account that their “patience is at an end.” This is significant considering just how hardcore and supportive they are of the Nerazzurri. According to The Guardian, the Ultras have been connected to “murders, missing persons, bank jobs, and drug dealing.” In 2018, a leader of the hardcore fan group was arrested with charges of homicide for the death of Napoli fan Daniele Belardinelli, who was fatally struck by a vehicle outside San Siro stadium.

As we can see, tensions get incredibly high, and this season is no exception. Said tensions have manifested in multiple ways throughout the season for Inter. The team lost Perisic, a valuable player, at the end of the 2021-2022 season, bringing down team morale. From fans in the Reddit Inter Milan section, this was only a fraction of the problem. Poor management, subs misuse and no tactic changes have caused predictability in play and a lack of faith in the manager. An embodiment of these tensions can be seen in the clash between Onana and Brozovic on April 18. Onana put in a late challenge on Brozovic, who reacted by kicking a towel in his teammate’s direction. The video is available on Twitter, and although team spats are typical, it was interesting to see that the players were the mediators. The managers and coaches seemed unbothered, and to me, at least, bolstered the notion of poor management.

Moreover, there have been talks about a potential swap deal with Barcelona: Brozovic and Kessie. Inter has some frustrations regarding Brozovic’s management of injuries and better performance internationally than in club. Moreover, the spat with Onana could be more helpful for Brozovic’s case. Meanwhile, striker Lukaku has been facing troubles regarding racist chants by Juventus fans at the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. He was sent off the field with a yellow card after scoring a penalty and holding his finger to his lips in front of Juventus fans as if silencing them. This also resulted in a one-match ban but was overturned as a measure to fight racism. Lukaku is now able to play in the second leg of the finals. Furthermore, stadium bans will be imposed on 171 Juventus fans who chanted said racist remarks^37,38,39. Lukaku’s experience exemplifies how sports can be a breeding ground for racism and a catalyst for change.

Lukaku is among the top scorers of Inter, with five goals from all comps. Number one goes to Lautaro Martinez, who has scored 15 goals, and number two is Edin Dzeko, with seven goals. Martinez joined Inter through a five-year contract for $25 million dollars. According to the Breaking the Lines Scouting Report, Martinez is a versatile striker who can create opportunities to beat the goalkeeper. Especially advantageous is his ambidexterity as well as solid concentration. Inter signed Dzeko for approximately $11 million after they reached an agreement with Roma. Dzeko is a considerable asset in connecting plays in the midfield as well as great aerial abilities.

As far as management and ownership go, Simone Inzaghi is the head coach of Inter, and Suning Holdings Group owns the club. Before Inter, Inzaghi led Lazio to the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cup successes. According to Sempre Inter, Inzaghi was an excellent candidate to succeed Conte due to their shared tactical strategies and calm demeanor. The coaches have differences in methodology, where Conte is more controlling, and Inzaghi is less so. Inzaghi’s Lazio midfielders also had more runs behind the defense, unlike Conte’s Inter team⁴⁶. Inzaghi pulled Inter out of a downward spiral in October through decisions such as benching Handanovic and subbing Onana, who has proved one of the best on the pitch. Inzaghi also adapted the play to accommodate injured players. These decisions culminated in beating Barcelona in a home game and bagging three more wins and a draw²².

Sunings Holding Group is one of the largest privately owned retailers in China, and they have bought a 68.55 percent controlling share in Inter. This makes Inter Milan the first Serie A team under Chinese ownership²². Inter Corporate CEO Alessandro Antonello had many positive things to say about Inter’s direction and is still heading under Suning ownership. Antonello noted that “…[having an international investor] has given stability to the business project and has implemented a clear strategy.” Suning has listed one of its significant goals as returning Inter to its former glory days and creating a lifestyle brand linked with design and innovation^22,23. The Suning ownership is not without its criticism. With the start of the pandemic, there were many financial issues plaguing Inter, and this contributed to steady rumors regarding Suning being forced into making a sale of the club.

Moreover, according to Football Today, Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani is considering bidding for Inter Milan. Zhang has mentioned repeatedly that the club wasn’t up for sale, but they are so far in the hole that a deal may be necessary. For Radrizzani to make any bids for the Nerazzurri, he must first sell his 56 percent stake in Leeds to the 49ers Enterprises. Radrizzani’s deal depends on Leeds’ relegation games in the Premier League to be considered worthy of selling and buying²⁴.

—

Inter Milan’s future largely depends on their Serie A performance and next season’s Champions League qualification. Inter highly depends on Champions League revenues, which cover operating costs and debts. With Inter’s current 6th place standing in the Serie A, they do not qualify for the Champions League, meaning potential big-name player sales and contract extension talks. Players like Andre Onana and Nicolo Barella have been linked to big money on the transfer market, as many clubs, such as Chelsea and Arsenal, have their eyes set on them. Furthermore, Stefan de Vrij and Edin Dzeko’s contract extensions would have to be redone with smaller wages in mind due to now backing from Champions League revenue¹⁸. Lukaku, currently on loan from Chelsea, has alluded to wanting to stay with Inter, but this is primarily based on his performance¹⁹. Not only do some of the player’s fates hang in the balance, but so does manager Inzaghi’s. Whether or not he will be brought back next season largely depends on the Champions League qualification¹⁸. This is likely due to management and club owners wanting better results and maybe feeling Inzaghi isn’t providing.

The transfer player rumor mill is circulating Inter’s plot bid for Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle’s French winger. He impressed not only Inter’s scouts but also Sevilla and AC Milan²⁵. If Inter is seriously struggling financially, Maximin has to make a good return on investment as his current market value, according to Transfermarkt, is 35 million euros. Once again, purely speculation, but a swap would work better for Inter if they genuinely want Maximin.

Inter still has time to recover, with upcoming matches against Hellas Verona on May 3 and Roma on May 6; they are favored to win both, which is positive. As for the Champions League, Inter and AC Milan will play head-to-head on May 10 in the first leg of the semifinals. Inter has shown that they can beat AC Milan. Consistency is being tested, and grit and determination will prevail.

Before researching Inter Milan, I did not know the Italian Soccer League. I had no desire to be a fan of Inter. I had no intention of becoming a fan of Inter, but I feel so invested now. I hope the Nerazzurri advance to the final stages of Serie A and the Champions League. In my opinion, the Italian League is overshadowed by the Premier League, but Inter has proven historically to be a contender of household name teams. They have a long legacy of outstanding managers and players, and they are built on admirable values. It all comes down to how much the current players want it and luck.