Latest news with #FedericoDimarco
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Inter Milan ratings: Federico Dimarco like a deer in headlights and Acerbi shows his age as PSG create history
INTER left-back Federico Dimarco had an absolute nightmare against Paris Saint-Germain's lethal young guns in the Champions League final. The Serie A side were butchered 5-0 by the Parisians in Munich, with 19-year-old Advertisement 4 PSG battered Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich 4 Inter's Hakan Calhanoglu was shell-shocked by half-time PSG won the Champions League for first time - and Luis Enrique became the first manager to win the continental treble with two different teams - the other being Barcelona. But there was only one team in it. After a blistering start, Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring in the 11th minute. And while he didn't celebrate against his former side, soon PSG doubled their lead when Doue's back-post strike bobbled in. But after going toe-to-toe with Barca in two of the best-ever UCL semi-finals, Inter had no answers for PSG, who have now scored 152 goals this season. Advertisement READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS With Inter pushing on for a goal, the space PSG had in attack was scary, with Doue punishing them with a composed finish for 3-0, before FOUR. Before 19-year-old sub Senny Mayulu celebrated like he scored a last-minute winner for 5-0. Here SunSport's Katherine Walsh rates and slates the Inter players who left their fans in tears in the Allianz Arena in Munich. Yann Sommer - 4 Shell-shocked by a rampant PSG. Couldn't have really done much about the first two goals. Advertisement Most read in Champions League The 36-year-old Swiss stopper was left standing when Doue's shot took a nick off Dimarco for 2-0. Did well to avoid 3-0 in 30 minutes when he held Ruiz's skiddy effort. Was let down by his back-line in the second half. Benjamin Pavard - 3 First start since being sidelined with an ankle injury last month. Great touches at times but was disjointed with his team-mates when it came to crossing the ball in. Advertisement Was caught out of position when Inter lost the ball, with PSG so lethal on the break. Not physical enough. Francesco Acerbi - 3 Should've grabbed a goal back in the 23rd minute. With Inter relying on set pieces, Acerbi rose free as a bird from 10 yards but his header zoomed over the crossbar. Was booked for dissent in the 70th minute. And fell on his backside when Bradley Barcola skipped past him before denying his side 5-0. Advertisement The 37-year-old kept teenage goalscorer Mayulu, who was on the pitch for two minutes, onside for 5-0. A broken man. Alessandro Bastoni - 4 Told Dimarco off for ball-watching 40 SECONDS before PSG took the lead. Was part of the back three which were all over the place for Kvaratskhelia's fourth. Denzel Dumfries - 5 Had a tough job to do against the world's best left back Nuno Mendes. Advertisement Was completely missing throughout his 90 minutes, but not exactly his fault as Inter struggled to get him on the ball. Federico Dimarco - 2 Lack of concentration cost his team. He was far too deep for PSG's opener and kept assister Doue onside for Hakimi's slick tap-in. The Italian's nightmare start was made worse when he was caught napping for 2-0 before turning his back for Doue's goal, which deflected off him. Every PSG ball went out to his side after that - the left-back was a like a rabbit in headlights against teenager Doue and Dembele. Advertisement Was hauled off in the 54th minute, with Paris fans doing the Poznan. Hakan Calhanoglu - 5 Cut a frustrated figure as his team were utterly dominated in the first 20 minutes. The camera kept panning to his sad face. The midfielder delivered brilliant corners for Acerbi and Thuram's big chances in the first half. But he scuffed a real opportunity with a shocking outhit free-kick just after half-time. Advertisement Nicolo Barella - 5 Barella tried to let the ball run out for a corner at the other end before 2-0 but he had not reckoned on the pace of this PSG side. Touch of an elephant when Dumfries' cross ricocheted back to him inside the box on the brink of half-time. 4 Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi reacts as Nicolo Barella looks on Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 4 Former Manchester United midfielder appeared to have his first touch in the 35th minute - the first half just passed him by. Advertisement Got a vital touch to put PSG off after a great move from the Parisians. He was hauled off instantly after in the 62nd minute. Lautaro Martinez - 4 Totally isolated with Inter unable to string a pass together in the first half. Kept having to come deeper to get the ball, with PSG's defence rarely threatened. Gianluigi Donnarumma made his first stop of the evening in the 75th minute, Advertisement 4 Martinez' touch map in the first half Marcus Thuram - 5 Like Martinez, couldn't get a sniff of the action with PSG so dominant. Had his first touch with a big chance on the brink of half-time when his powerful header skimmed past the post from six yards. Anything on target and Inter were back in business . Thuram booked for being late on Ruiz. Advertisement SUBS Bisseck (for Dimarco, 55 min) - 2 Lasted SEVEN minutes after tweaking his hamstring after coming on. Was in floods of tears when making his way back to the bench. while PSG made hit 3-0. Zalweski (for Pavard, 55 min) - 5 Get tackle to stop a potential PSG break. He was harshly booked for his efforts within minutes of coming on. Matteo Darmian (for Bissek, 62 min) - 5 Was brutally asked to come on with his side being hammered. Advertisement PSG PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos , Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha , Fabian Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Doue
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Sport
- Business Upturn
PSG vs Inter Milan: Top stars to steal the show in 2024-25 Champions League final
The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League Final is set to be an electrifying clash as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) take on Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich today, May 31, 2025. With both teams in top form, the battle for European glory promises intense action. Here are the key players to watch in this PSG vs Inter Milan showdown, each capable of turning the tide in this historic UEFA Champions League Final. Players to Watch from PSG 1. Achraf Hakimi Achraf Hakimi, the dynamic right-back, brings blistering pace and attacking flair to PSG's defense. His ability to surge forward and deliver pinpoint crosses makes him a constant threat, especially against Inter's left flank, where he'll likely challenge Federico Dimarco. 2. Ousmane Dembélé Ousmane Dembélé, operating as a right winger, is a force of nature with his explosive speed and dazzling dribbling. His knack for cutting inside and creating chances, paired with 5 goals and 4 assists in this season's Champions League, makes him a danger to Inter's backline, particularly against Alessandro Bastoni or Federico Dimarco. 3. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian sensation on the left wing, is a nightmare for defenders with his silky dribbling, rapid pace, and clinical finishing. Boasting 6 goals and 3 assists in the 2024-25 Champions League, he's poised to test Inter's Yann Bisseck or Denzel Dumfries in one-on-one duels. Players to Watch from Inter Milan 1. Hakan Çalhanoglu Hakan Çalhanoglu, Inter's central midfielder, is a creative maestro whose long-range passing and set-piece expertise give the Nerazzurri an edge. Çalhanoglu's vision could exploit any gaps in PSG's 4-3-3 setup. 2. Lautaro Martínez Lautaro Martínez, Inter's captain and star striker, combines lethal finishing with tireless pressing. With 8 goals in the 2024-25 Champions League, tying for the top scorer, his partnership with Marcus Thuram has been devastating. He'll aim to pounce on any mistakes from PSG's Marquinhos and Pacho, and his clinical edge could be the deciding factor in this final 3. Federico Dimarco Federico Dimarco, the left wing-back, brings tireless energy, precise crossing, and defensive grit to Inter's 3-5-2 formation. His matchups against PSG's Désiré Doué and Achraf Hakimi will be crucial, and his ability to stretch the defense could create vital scoring opportunities.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Italy Star Admits ‘I Cried' After Crazy Inter Milan 4-3 Barcelona Champions Legaue Win – Adds ‘I Remember What Guardiola Said' After Loss To Man City
Italy Star Admits 'I Cried' After Crazy Inter Milan 4-3 Barcelona Champions Legaue Win – Adds 'I Remember What Guardiola Said' After Loss To Man City Federico Dimarco admits that he 'cried' after Inter Milan beat Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. The Italian international spoke to The Athletic, via FCInterNews. He also recalled words from Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola declaring Inter could reach the final. Advertisement The Nerazzurri reached this point by eliminating Barcelona in the semifinals. It was the most daramatic of semifinal ties. The first leg ended in a 3-3 draw, while the second leg had the same scoreline after ninety minutes. Barcelona had looked to have completed a dramatic comeback from 2-0 on the night. But a late Francesco Acerbi equalizer set up extra time. Then, it was Davide Frattesi who scored the goal that sent Inter into the final. That capped off what was undoubtedly one of the most dramatic and thrilling Champions League tie in recent memory. Meanwhile, PSG reached the final by beating Arsenal. They overcame the Premier League side by a 3-1 scoreline on aggregate. Dimarco Admits: 'I Cried' After Inter Milan 4-3 Barcelona Win MILAN, ITALY – MAY 06: Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale celebrates after team mate Lautaro Martinez (not pictrued) scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Barcelona at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 06, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) Inter Milan wingback Federico Dimarco looked back on the semifinal second leg against Barcelona. Advertisement 'I honestly cried after the match,' admitted the Italian international. 'I felt so many emotions that I couldn't express.' Meanwhile, Dimarco also noted that it was Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola who said that Inter could make it to the final again. 'I still remember his words,' said the 27-year-old.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Inter left their last Champions League final with an aura. Now they're seeking immortality
From the dugout at San Siro, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco were helpless. The Inter captain and his team-mate — a hometown hero and lifelong fan of the club — had already been taken off against Barcelona. A 2-0 first-half lead had been cut to 2-1, the visitors equalised soon afterwards, and then, with only three minutes remaining, Inter's dream of reaching the Champions League final was apparently shattered, as Raphinha completed a remarkable remontada. Advertisement 'I was destroyed,' Martinez says in flip-flops on a sunny media day at Inter's bucolic training ground in Appiano Gentile. The Argentina striker had been expected to miss the game through injury but played and scored regardless. When Inter's medical staff removed the strapping on his leg 'the muscle relaxed and the pain was unbelievable', he says. 'But the nerves and adrenaline brought on by the game were such that the pain passed.' Dimarco was stunned by Barcelona's turnaround. Although the goal felt like it had been coming, it was still a shock given how well Inter had played in the first half. 'There was huge disappointment,' he recalls. 'We weren't expecting it.' In the VIP seats, Lele Adani, the former Inter player-turned-pundit, claimed Marco Materazzi, a club legend, had risen from his seat and left at 3-2 down. Other Inter fans headed for the exits. 'We suffered,' Inter's vice-president and former Champions League-winning captain, Javier Zanetti, says. Below him, the Barcelona bench emptied as the subs and the substituted ran on to the pitch to celebrate with Raphinha, whose goal not only seemed to have clinched victory but also placed his fingerprints all over the Ballon d'Or. It was a tough blow for Inter to take. 'More so me, because if you rewatch it, I was the one who lost the ball,' Nicolo Barella grimaces. 'Emotionally, that was hard for me.' At that moment, the heavens opened. Squalls of rain drenched everyone under San Siro's iconic red girders. But Inter's coach, Simone Inzaghi, did not retreat for cover or ask for a waterproof. Instead, he squatted on the sideline, his suit soaked through, and tried to rally his team. 'Obviously, I wasn't happy immediately after the goal went in. But given what we had done in both games against Barcelona, I knew we still had it in us. Fortunately, my players thought the same. They believed.' In the 93rd minute, Inter's centre-back Francesco Acerbi turned to his fellow defender Matteo Darmian and said: 'Io vado.' I'm off. Advertisement Off where? As goalkeeper Yann Sommer launched a hopeful long ball, Acerbi ran for the Barcelona penalty area. Did anyone know what he was doing? Nope. 'Me neither,' Marcus Thuram says, shaking his head. 'Everybody talks about tactics, but football is football — and then you need a little bit of magic.' Thuram won the second ball, Denzel Dumfries crossed it, and Acerbi equalised, taking the game to extra time. It was a finish worthy of Giuseppe Meazza, the striker after whom San Siro is named. It was also pure Inter — a club founded by artists and poets, one that's just as capable of cutting off their ear (as they did by throwing away a 2-0 lead in both games) as creating a Champions League masterpiece. ACERBI: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 🪽#ForzaInter #UCL #InterBarcelona — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) May 7, 2025 'The spirit of Inter came out,' Darmian says. The pazza Inter (pazza means 'mad' in Italian) with centre-backs crazy enough to improvise as centre-forwards. 'Another game began after that,' Zanetti observes. That other game was one that Inter won in extra time when substitutes Mehdi Taremi and Davide Frattesi combined to make it 4-3 on the night, 7-6 on aggregate, and book their place in the Champions League final. 'Honestly, afterwards I cried,' Dimarco admits. 'There were so many feelings inside that I was unable to express.' All of a sudden, the pain in Lautaro's leg came back. 'For two days I couldn't lift my leg,' he laughs. He is fit again for Saturday's game in Munich. Relief swept over Barella. 'Thanks to 'Ace', 'Fratte' and the rest of the team, we did something for the ages. That game will go down in Champions League history.' Before the return leg, Inter's executives went out for lunch with their counterparts from Barcelona. Along with president Giuseppe Marotta and Zanetti were board members representing Inter's American owner, the asset management firm Oaktree. They all agreed the first leg had not only been great for football but fantastic for both clubs' images too, although more so for Inter than Barcelona, who already have an elevated status. Advertisement It is a status acquired relatively recently because as one club's stock rose, the other's waned. Inter were, for many years, the more successful club. They won the European Cup in 1964 and 1965 and then lost finals in 1967 and 1972. Barcelona didn't even make a final until 1986. When the original Luis Suarez and Ronaldo received the Ballon d'Or for great seasons at the Camp Nou, Barcelona were powerless to stop them leaving for Inter, who were then the wealthier club, bankrolled by the fortune the Moratti family made from their Sardinian oil refineries. Even in 2009, Barcelona got the short end of the stick trading Samuel Eto'o to Inter for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. That season, Inter, captained by Zanetti, won the Champions League in 2010 as part of a treble, an unprecedented accomplishment in Italian football. But the overtake was already in effect — even though Barca were, like this year, eliminated by them in the semi-finals. Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi and La Masia collided to turn Barcelona from big club to super club into super brand. Times were changing. When Massimo Moratti sold Inter in 2013, he likened it to taking the credit card away from a daughter he'd spoiled throughout her adolescence. She had to learn to stand on her own two feet. The club, in other words, had to go from indulgence to running itself as a business. Inter didn't qualify for the Champions League for six years, nor did they win the league for nearly a decade. They were in Juventus' shadow at home and weren't playing regularly enough abroad to transcend. They lost ground to rivals in England, Spain, Germany and France. Serie A's complacency contrasted with the zeal shown by the Premier League in becoming the most-watched and, in turn, the richest league in the world. 'In 20 years, the Premier League has tripled its revenues compared to us,' Inter president Marotta explains. A chasm opened up — and it got wider for two reasons. Next year, San Siro celebrates its 100th birthday. It is one of the wonders of the football world and features on every football fan's bucket list. But it is now a listed building and, even if it wasn't, redeveloping the existing structure would cost as much — if not more — than building a new stadium. A refurbished San Siro would also make less money than a new arena purpose-built for the age we live in. 'What Italy lacks most of all is modern stadiums that can generate higher matchday revenues,' Marotta says. 'That is something that could double our income. We took in €80million (this season), and with a new stadium, we think we can double that. Compared to the rest of Europe, this is our biggest handicap. We are last in terms of investment in stadium facilities and infrastructure.' The other major differential comes down to a simple question: if you live outside Italy, how exposed are you to Serie A? Is it easy for you to watch? 'Another important factor is trying to optimise TV rights sales,' Marotta continues. 'Not so much from domestic rights, but foreign rights. Compared to the Premier League, the ratio is 1 to 10.' Advertisement Inter themselves have always been the least developed of Italy's big three in terms of commercial opportunity. Plenty of potential has either been under-exploited or untapped. One of only eight clubs with three or more Champions League titles, they were 14th for revenue in the most recent Deloitte Money League. Four of the teams in front of them — Paris Saint-Germain (their opponents on Saturday), Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid — have yet to win the Champions League. Manchester City's first title came at Inter's expense two years ago in Istanbul. Marotta has restored Inter to a level of competitiveness befitting their history and tradition, while also enabling them to punch above their weight financially. This is the fourth Champions League final of Marotta's illustrious career. Only Adriano Galliani, the executive who ran AC Milan for Silvio Berlusconi for more than a quarter of a century, has reached more in Italy. Before Inter hired him, Marotta was chief executive on the football side of the business when Juventus also reached two finals in three years between 2015 and 2017. For the same to happen again can be no coincidence. What's his secret? Is it the winning culture he creates? 'First and foremost,' Marotta says, 'the owners must have confidence in the management. If you have their confidence, you then must have two traits: one is competence, the other is a work ethic and a corporate culture. A sense of belonging to something. These values are absolutely essential. It isn't money that wins things; it's these aspects.' Consider, for instance, the revenue gulf between Inter and the clubs they eliminated on their way to Munich. Bayern brought in €765.4 million (£644m, $869m) from gate receipts, sponsorship deals and TV rights last year. Inter, by contrast, made €391million — nearly half as much. The gap to Barcelona was practically the same, and is even more pronounced with PSG. When Inter made it to the final in 2023, it wasn't only framed as a surprise — it also felt like the end. Oaktree's predecessor as owner, the Chinese conglomerate Suning, had initially spent big. Then, during Covid, Suning came under tremendous financial pressure. In order to continue supporting Inter, they needed to take out an emergency €275million loan at 12 per cent interest from Oaktree, secured against their shares in the club. For Marotta, that meant adapting on the fly. He had to go from breaking club transfer records for players such as Barella and Romelu Lukaku to making big-money sales from Achraf Hakimi and… Lukaku. Signings, with only a few exceptions, were mostly done on a free — this was already a forte of Marotta's at Juventus. Some, such as Andre Onana, have been sold for big profits. Others — Stefan de Vrij, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu and Marcus Thuram — remain. This time last year, Suning defaulted on its loan to Oaktree, and so the fund enforced the debt and took over. This has stabilised Inter. Oaktree has upgraded the management structure and plans to invest in, among other things, the training ground. It gives Inter a firm platform on which to grow. For Marotta, the brief is the same as it always was — build winning teams — only different. His recruitment staff, which includes sporting director Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin, are having to adjust again. Inter were the team with the oldest average age in this season's Champions League (weighted by minutes played). But rejuvenation is coming. 'We have agreed with the new owners, Oaktree, who have first and foremost provided stability and financial security, to create a different model and implement it in the coming season,' Marotta explains. 'Investments will be made in slightly younger profiles who represent a real asset, players with potential who are an asset for the present and the future.' Advertisement They will follow Juventus, Milan and Atalanta in enrolling an under-23 team in the men's third division to help bridge the gap between youth team and first-team football, and lean more on an academy that has always been fertile. Italy's championships at youth team level are decided by a series of end-of-season play-offs. 'All seven of our age categories are in them this year. Inter has always had a great youth sector,' Marotta underlines. From producing Meazza and Sandro Mazzola to Walter Zenga and Giuseppe Bergomi, to Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Balotelli. Promising kids have recently been sacrificed for financial fair play purposes — loaned out or sold with buy-back clauses. 'I grew up here,' Dimarco, the son of a fruit and veg salesman from the Porta Romana neighbourhood of Milan, says. 'I've played for Inter since I was a six-year-old. I moved around a number of different clubs (Sion, Verona and Parma), but in the end I came back.' On his calf, a tattoo of San Siro twitches. Dimarco did not see Istanbul as the end of things for this Inter team. Far from it. 'I still remember the words of Guardiola two years ago,' he says. The City coach told Inzaghi not to be too down and that he'd make it back to the Champions League final within a few years. 'And that's what has happened,' Dimarco adds. Inter came away from that game understandably disappointed, but with a new sense of self. They had not been outplayed; on the contrary, for an hour, Inter were the better team against a history-making City side and could — and should — have at least taken the final to extra time. Asked about what Inter can learn from the experience, Barella, a cheeky glint in his eye, jovially says: 'Well, I learned that we can't just play well. We need to score goals. All jokes aside, it was a great experience — a wonderful journey to be on. We've gone and done it again this season. Two finals in three years is definitely no coincidence.' Advertisement Marotta believes something clicked in Istanbul. By pushing City so hard, Inter realised they weren't that far off from being able to win the competition. 'Starting in Istanbul, a process began in which the players became aware of how good they are and this in turn made them mature enough to play on the grandest stages, such as a second final (in three years).' Inter came back from the Ataturk Olympic Stadium with an aura. They swept through Serie A in 2023-24, claiming their 20th league title with a 19-point margin — sealed in the derby against Milan, whom they have beaten six times in a row. The team were a class apart, better even than this season, and should have reached the Champions League final again in 2024. But Thuram's injury and Marko Arnautovic's misses in the first leg of their quarter-final stopped Inter from putting away Atletico Madrid, who seized on a mistake by Benjamin Pavard to come back from 1-0 down in the second leg and 2-0 down in the tie to knock them out. Diego Simeone whipped up the crowd at the Metropolitano to such an extent that it became a 12th man for the Spaniards. This season, the team is another year older and has often had to dig in and be resilient. They were still on for a treble until the end of April and the risk is Inter now finish empty-handed. For a second time in four seasons under Inzaghi, the title race came down to the final day and Inter came up short by a single point. It was hard for them to swallow. Inzaghi left his players alone after the final game of the Serie A season against Como. He then organised a lunch on Monday, a short distance from the training ground, where the players lifted each other and tried to get over missing out on the scudetto to Napoli. 'Everyone in sport is familiar with this feeling,' Marotta says. 'You have to live with the joys and the bitterness of it. To quote Nelson Mandela: 'I never lose. I either win or I learn'. So there are lessons to learn from it, ways to improve and ways to be even better prepared for the next challenge that awaits us.' Football, more generally, could learn that a treble is becoming even harder with an extended and even more congested calendar. Advertisement In comparison with Inter, champions Napoli were not in Europe and exited the Coppa Italia earlier. Inter played 19 more games. That's an extra half a season, and the Club World Cup is yet to be played. 'It's important that we come together to slightly reduce the football calendar,' Marotta says. 'Playing 60 games a year is hard. In my view, the first step in Serie A should be reducing the number of teams from 20 to 18 — as the Bundesliga (and Ligue 1) has done, and as other countries seem to be considering. 'Reducing Serie A to 18 teams and better aligning international calendars with FIFA and the federations would be a major step forward.' Inter fans like to sing about all the kilometres they have covered in support of the team. As they fly and drive to Munich for a second time this season, they will hear about how their team is once again the outsider, as was the case two years ago. This is regardless of the fact that their boys have drawn away to City, beaten Arsenal, conceded only once in the league phase, scored four against Bayern, seven against Barcelona and 114, in total, for the season in all competitions. 'The perception that matters to us is the one we have of ourselves as a team, as a club, and the one our fans have of us,' Inzaghi says. The 49-year-old's own profile should be higher in light of everything he has achieved at Lazio and Inter. The frankly colossal offer that the Saudi side Al Hilal have made to Inzaghi is certainly one form of recognition. Nevertheless, Inter remain hopeful of keeping him because, as Marotta says: 'He's a fine man-manager. He finds the right motivation and does not create excessive tension. He plays a modern style of football by trying to score more goals rather than just sitting back and defending, and this is a brand of football people like and find entertaining.' Advertisement Both goals in Munich, for instance, showcased who Inter are as a team. The opener against Bayern was illustrative of Inter's fluidity with players swapping positions and roles to confuse their hosts and play through them. 'The mobility of everyone can beat the pressure of the opponent,' Darmian says. The winner from Frattesi was a magnificent goal in transition that also highlighted Inter's ability to react to conceding by scoring last-gasp winners with players from their bench. All told, the Champions League is the only trophy to have so far eluded a group of players that has won everything else. Saturday's final represents a last chance for many of Inter's veterans to win this competition — from Sommer, Acerbi and De Vrij to Darmian, Mkhitaryan, maybe even Calhanoglu. It won't be a last chance for the club, however, whose owners look capable of building on prospective success in a way a fulfilled Moratti wasn't in 2010 and straitened Suning were not able to in the event things had gone differently in 2023. Zanetti was 36 when he skippered Inter to the Champions League title 15 years ago. That was his 15th season at the club, and there were times when he must have thought it wasn't going to happen for him or his team-mates. But, in the end, it did. 'Pupi', as he's lovingly called, understands better than anyone what an Inter triumph would represent. 'It would mean writing one of the most important pages in the club's history,' he says. 'Winning this trophy means entering the club's history for real. This group has that chance, and I sincerely hope Lautaro, my fellow Argentine, has the honour of lifting it as captain on Saturday.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photo – Italy Star Hypes Up PSG Vs Inter Milan Champions League Final: ‘Munich, Milan, It Doesn't Matter Where You Are – We're All Together'
Photo – Italy Star Hypes Up PSG Vs Inter Milan Champions League Final: 'Munich, Milan, It Doesn't Matter Where You Are – We're All Together' Tomorrow it will be time for the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan. It will be an absolutely season-defining match for both teams. For Inter, it will be a chance to right the wrong of the 2023 final. The Nerazzurri narrowly lost out to Manchester City two years ago. Advertisement Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain are still hoping to win their first ever Champions League crown. Inter Milan wingback Federico Dimarco took to Instagram ahead of the match with his message to the fans. He wrote, 'In Munich, In Milan, at San Siro, or around the world. It doesn't matter where you are. Whoever you are, we'll be with you. All of us TOGETHER. Forza Inter.'
