Tipped to retain their Serie A crown, Inter Milan entered the 2024/25 season confident of fending off Napoli, AC Milan, and Juventus to claim their 21st title.
All was seemingly going well until arch-rivals AC Milan held Inter to a 1-1 draw in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg. It was all downhill for the Nerazzurri, as the psychological wear began to show.
Inter lost that semi-final to AC Milan and would draw Parma before losing to AS Roma and Bologna in Serie A. By then, Napoli had taken the top spot on the league log and refused to relinquish the hold.
Despite their hopes of another treble fading, Inter took solace in a brilliant run to the UEFA Champions League final that saw them dump out European behemoths like Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Unfortunately, like in the Serie A title race, the mother of all capitulations followed as Paris Saint-Germain obliterated Inter 5-0 to win their maiden Champions League title.
Those who bought Inter Milan tickets from Seatsnet.com watched on as Simone Inzaghi’s side were beaten and broken in a 90-minute run-around.
That result has left many wondering whether the Nerazzurri can shake off the psychological damage of such a crushing blow next term.
What happens when an ageing squad is pushed to the absolute max?
Inter were on course to secure a second treble at the beginning of the year, competing fiercely on multiple fronts, but gradually, they lost steam.
Former transfer supremo and current Inter president Giuseppe Marotta had built a terrific squad with the finances at his disposal.
However, due to the monetary constraints, they had to pick up several players entering the twilight of their careers, like Mehdi Taremi, Francesco Acerbi, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Those players, and several others, arrived for cheap fees, but head coach Simone Inzaghi made lemonade with the lemons available.
He forged an easily distinguishable outfit that thrived on repeated, relentless movement that created holes in the opposition rearguard.
On their day, the Nerazzurri are fantastic. The Inter 3-5-2 shape was also solid defensively, covering for weaknesses and allowing this squad to punch above its weight.
But suddenly, the squad lost its vivacity, starting with club talisman and captain Lautaro Martinez, who endured an underwhelming season.
His strike partner, Marcus Thuram, underperformed, especially in the second half, managing only one goal in the league and Champions League since April.
The midfield rotations of Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Mkhitaryan that caught the opposition out looked stagnant, exposing the patchy defence.
It did not help that special weapon Federico DiMarco missed the latter part of the season, leaving Inter looking uninspiring.
Even the great Barcelona dynasty of 2009-2012 did not survive the 7-0 mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Getting battered on such a grand stage can psychologically scar most teams. It remains to be seen how Inter will bounce back.
Bolstering the squad for next season
From the early minutes of the PSG clash, it was clear that Inter needed to return to the transfer market to strengthen this squad on its last legs.
They need reinforcement to refresh this ageing roster, and Marotta is moving with intent as they bid to bounce back and topple rivals like Napoli, Juventus, and arch-rivals Milan.
Inter will be particularly desperate to exact revenge on the Rossoneri next term after their arch-nemesis kick-started their slump.
Their meetings will be firecrackers. Purchase AC Milan tickets from Seatsnet.com to catch another instalment of this historic rivalry live from the San Siro.
Inter have signed Brazilian winger/wing-back Luis Henrique to bolster the right side following an impressive season with Olympique Marseille. He will provide competition for Denzel Dumfries.
The Nerazzurri also added promising French-Ivorian striker Ange-Yoan Bonny to the ranks, paving the way for Marko Arnautovic and Taremi to leave the club.
Bonny impressed with Parma in Serie A, despite managing only six goals and four assists in 37 appearances.
Defensive midfielder Petar Sucic comes in to shore up the base of midfield that looked porous in the final against PSG, allowing Calhanoglu to move further up the pitch where he thrives.
Meanwhile, Nicola Zalewski will give Inter another option for that left-wing-back spot when DiMarco is on the sidelines. But are these additions enough to turn the tide?
Can Inter recover from their Champions League trauma?
Inter Milan’s dramatic collapse in the 2023 and 2025 Champions League finals has left scars that may not heal anytime soon.
Most sides never get to one final. Inter have now lost two in three years.
The emotional toll of that, coupled with the battering in this year’s final and their limp showing at the Club World Cup, shows a deeper malaise that new manager Cristian Chivu has not yet addressed.
Chivu’s appointment came with optimism rooted in nostalgia, but his tenure has offered no clear evolution. He has stuck to the same 3-5-2 template without injecting new energy or tactical nuance.
The result? A side that looks predictable, fragile, and fatigued. Their Club World Cup outing underscored those concerns, drawing Monterrey in the opener and falling to Fluminense in the round of 16.
This struggle is not just a dip. The signs point to a team staring at decline.
The core of this squad that went toe-to-toe with Europe’s best is now facing the end of its cycle.
No amount of minor reinforcements can reverse that overnight. Players like Mkhitaryan, Acerbi, and Taremi were short-term solutions, but their diminishing returns expose the cracks.
The new signings are promising. However, these additions are more alternatives and long-term projects than instant upgrades.
So, can Inter go again? On paper, perhaps. But psychologically and structurally, the answer may be no, at least not without radical change.
Losing two finals, suffering humiliation in one, and enduring a mid-season collapse under a renowned coach like Inzaghi is a mountain to climb.
Unless Chivu tears up the script and injects fresh identity, the Nerazzurri might be heading into a painful transition rather than a glorious resurgence.
