Several players – Nicolo Barella, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco – have nevertheless already communicated with their fans by joining them at the Duomo around 2:30 a.m. More discreet, Simone Inzaghi for her part celebrated the title with her staff. “We did something incredible, the credit must be shared with the team, the management, my colleagues, the fans and the president who has always been there”launched the Nerazzurri coach who is finally celebrating his first Scudetto.
Inzaghi's title
The 35 goals of the Martinez-Thuram duo obviously played a big role. Like the work of the midfielders Barella-Calhanoglu-Mkhitaryan, the centers of Dumfries or Dimarco, the defense of Bastoni, Acerbi, Darmian or Pavard, as well as the seventeen clean sheets from Sommer. But at Inter, everyone agrees to salute the work of the director.
”I dedicate this title to our leader Inzaghi.. He is a coach who had difficulties and pressure when he arrived because coaching Inter is not easy, but he grew and became a winner”launched Beppe Marotta, the CEO of the club, followed by Chinese president Steven Zhang. “Thank you Simone. You are a gift to me. You are an exceptional person who has shaped our team with a winning mentality. You transmitted confidence and serenity and created this great group.”
Self-financing and mentality
The context of Inzaghi's arrival in 2021 was, however, anything but obvious. He succeeded Antonio Conte who had just put an end to the hegemony of Juventus and had to assume the new strategy imposed by management. Namely, first sell important players and then recruit intelligently in order to compensate for economic difficulties. The club thus sold for 205 million euros in the first summer (Lukaku, Hakimi, Politano) and then looked at good deals: players at the end of their contract or inexpensive, but with the necessary mentality to join the core tough Italians who know what it means to play in Italy.
”The human aspect, in any work activity, is important. If you have good players but not so good men, you have difficulty feeling comfortable. Inzaghi managed to make the most of what we made available to him. And this mentality immediately spread among those who arrived”summarizes Marotta.
Denzel Dumfries, Matteo Darmian, Hakan Calhanoglu – all starters this season – arrived in the summer of 2021 at the same time as Edin Dzeko, Lukaku's replacement. The strategy was repeated the following season by bringing back Big Rom on loan and bringing in André Onana, Henrick Mkhitaryan or Francesco Acerbi. Then last summer by recruiting Marcus Thuram for free to compensate for Lukaku's new departure.
Learning through failure
Beaten to the wire by his neighbor AC Milan at the end of his first season, then third, eighteen lengths behind Naples last year, Inzaghi had to bounce back each time despite the disappointments. Fortunately, he was able to count on two Italian Cups, three Super Cups and a Champions League final last season to maintain his credibility.
These successes and failures allowed the former Lazio coach to grow personally. In addition to immersing himself in the reality of his club and learning to manage a competition over time, he sharpened himself tactically by establishing a real balance between the two sides of the field rather than focusing on the defensive impermeability that Antonio Conte used.
The collective sense, passion and devotion instilled in his players by his winning mentality did the rest. “I found players who gave me everything. We have always gone in one direction, working to make days like this happen”rejoiced Inzaghi.
The following ?
The club will not change its recruitment policy and has already completed the free arrivals of Zielinski (Naples) and Taremi (Porto). With an even larger group, the Nerazzurri will try to retain their title while going even further in the Champions League (they were eliminated by Atlético and eighth).
