Latest news with #Internazionale
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Why the Champions League is just the start for PSG's new breed of winners
In the afterglow of victory, Luis Enrique exchanged his trademark black top for a T-shirt bearing the message 'Champions of Europe'. So did many another. The temptation is to wonder that Paris Saint-Germain got them printed in 2011, when Qatar Sports Investments bought the club, and had them stored in a cupboard in the Parc des Princes ever since. An ambition was finally realised in Munich; impressively so. After the annual collapses, the near misses, the late goals from Sergi Roberto and Marcus Rashford came the cathartic 5-0 demolition of Internazionale, one of the genuine aristocrats of European football humiliated by the nouveaux riches with designs on becoming part of the establishment. It transpired that Arne Slot was ahead of the curve in calling PSG the best team in Europe. Over the subsequent months, many another reached that conclusion, too. The club who used to choke at the business end of the Champions League peaked when it mattered most; in itself, that is proof of the transformative impact of Luis Enrique. His cultural revolution has entailed ending the search for proven winners and building a young side who instead won. But it can be difficult to shed a club's identity. There was something quintessentially PSG about last season's 4-1 battering at Newcastle, or their semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund, when they hit the woodwork so often it needed a concussion test, but did not find the net. This year felt more of the same. Some 50 minutes into their seventh group game, PSG were – somehow – 2-0 down to Manchester City, outside the top 24, facing the ignominy of their worst European campaign under Qatari ownership. It instead became the best. PSG's modern Champions League history has been an extended exercise in schadenfreude. In Germany, home of the concept, the startlingly brilliant display of Desire Doue could not camouflage who was missing: Kylian Mbappe. It is no coincidence PSG finally won the Champions League without Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. There wasn't a superstar shortcut to glory. It is instructive if there will be an annual procession to it now. It is easy to predict so after a final, yet such forecasts often do not stand the test of time. Manchester City's 2023 triumph did not herald several more: if they regain the trophy, it will be with a very different team. In the last dozen years, only Real Madrid have won more than one Champions League. Right now, however, PSG look far better placed than many another supposed contender – City, Inter, Bayern Munich – to be celebrating again in Budapest next summer. What can be said without fear of contradiction is that PSG are young enough. They will have the resources. What may be pertinent is that they seem to have turned a deficiency – the ease with which they win Ligue Un – into an advantage. For years, the theory was that it did not properly prepare them for Champions League summit clashes. Yet time on the training ground with Luis Enrique and the physicality to blitz opponents can do that. PSG should see a future in their magnificent midfield. It is frightening how good Doue is even before his 20th birthday. If they can conjure more goals from the compelling Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he will seem unstoppable. It may mean that questions instead surround their unlikely talisman. Luis Enrique argued Ousmane Dembele should win the Ballon d'Or for his defensive work alone. But after 28 goals in five years, can Dembele have another 33-goal season or was this the most wondrous of one-offs? PSG's new striker-less model suggests that, whatever the answer, Luis Enrique will want wingers who can interchange positions and runners who can work. It helps, too, that PSG no longer overlook the cradles of talent that are Paris or Ligue Un. Doue was bought from Rennes, Bradley Barcola from Lyon. It proved a better business model than raiding the Nou Camp, beyond getting the transformative manager who is a Barcelona alumnus and who became the seventh manager to win the competition with two different clubs. He altered the ethos. PSG stopped copying and found their own way. In one respect, they helped remedy a historical imbalance: this was just a second European Cup win for a French club. In another, they are a global club who have ruined the competitiveness of Ligue Un. It is the fifth domestic league in Europe, but a distant fifth. With its diminishing television rights, and broadcasters struggling to make it pay, other clubs can be financially challenged, often forced to sell. And yet the initial French surge in the Champions League this season came from the relatively impoverished. PSG underachieved in the group stages. The rest overachieved. Lille defeated Real and Atletico Madrid, Monaco beat Barcelona and Aston Villa. Brest took more points than Juventus and City. But they were beaten 10-0 on aggregate by PSG when the force from the capital gelled. Then PSG took aim across the English Channel, eliminating Liverpool and Villa and Arsenal. The Italian challengers from Inter were then vanquished, PSG's arc of triumph complete.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘La débâcle': Italian press turn on Inzaghi after Inter's night of misery
On the front pages of Italy's newspapers, the Champions League final was told as a 'nightmare', a 'humiliation', and a 'rout'. Tuttosport at least found room for humour with a 'DisIntergrated' pun. La Stampa, in deference to the victors Paris Saint-Germain, went instead with a French phrase: 'La débâcle'. Any team can lose a Champions League final but Internazionale were the first to do so by a five-goal margin. The final indignity of a season in which they aspired to repeat the treble they won under José Mourinho, only to come unstuck at the last: losing the Coppa Italia semi-final to neighbours Milan and then missing out on the Serie A title by one point. Advertisement Related: Game is up for Inter after Champions League journey ends in bitter humiliation | Jonathan Liew 'It could have been all or nothing,' acknowledged Franco Vanni in La Repubblica. 'It was nothing, in the most painful way possible. A sort of reverse perfection … a climax of suffering which is the photographic negative of the joys of 2010, year of the Inter treble and the last Italian joy [in this competition].' Everywhere there was acknowledgment of Paris Saint-Germain's quality and the astonishing job Luis Enrique has done in remaking this team according to his vision: young, dynamic, furiously competitive. But the focus, understandably, for Italian audiences was on how their own league's representatives could bow out so meekly. What had happened to the relentless mindset that allowed this team to score 11 times in four games against Barcelona and Bayern Munich? 'I'm sure no Inter lineup would have had a chance against this PSG,' said the veteran pundit Paolo Condò in a video blog for Il Corriere dello Sport. 'But even if you are slipping into the abyss, in a final you have a duty to try.' Advertisement Simone Inzaghi was criticised for being outschemed by Luis Enrique and for failing to adapt after the game had begun. La Gazzetta Sportiva rated his performance as a 3/10 – even lower than the score they gave to the worst player, Federico Dimarco. '[Inzaghi] does not understand a thing of PSG's rotations and press,' ran the accompanying text. 'Almost embarrassing choices on the substitutions. Maybe he will remake himself in the Asian Champions League. Maybe.' Inzaghi is reported to have received a substantial contract offer to take over as manager of Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, though he declined to talk about his future after the final. He had said repeatedly in the buildup to the game that he plans to meet with Inter's directors on Tuesday. This result, unquestionably, had changed the context of their discussions. 'And now, the cruelty of the question and of doubt,' wrote Maurizio Crosetti for La Repubblica. 'Is Simone Inzaghi the manager who took Inter within a step of winning it all, or is he the manager who in four years lost two scudetti badly and as many Champions League finals? 'If he had won this cup, maybe Inzaghi could have left more easily, like Mourinho after Madrid. And yet, after this, how can he stay?' Comparisons with the Special One were impossible to escape. As Leo Turrini put it in Quotidiano Sportivo, 'This season that made fans dream of a repeat of Mourinho's treble ended with the equally Mourinho-ian 'Zeru tituli'. Advertisement Related: Champions League final: PSG thrash Inter to win their first title – in pictures There were some defences of Inzaghi, too, Alberto dalla Palma noting in Il Messaggero that Inter ought still to thank their manager for four years of highly competitive performances in the Champions League, relying on many players who joined on free transfers. Gazzetta reported Inter will close this season with their highest-ever revenues and expect to report a profit – some turnaround from the €246m losses they posted in the last season before Inzaghi took charge. But fans live for glory on the pitch, not the balance sheet. 'From yesterday, for Inter supporters, Munich in Bavaria is no longer the kingdom of the beloved Kalle Rummenigge nor the moor ridden by Nicolino Berti but a land of shame,' wrote Luigi Garlando in the pink paper. 'You should never use this word for sporting things, but when the fans experience embarrassment at such a bewildering, humiliating display, so much that they suffer just for their sense of belonging, there is no more appropriate term. A disgrace for Italian football, too.' 'A sporting massacre, a Korea, a Mineirazo,' he continued, referencing the most infamous World Cup defeats suffered by Italy and Germany. 'Thank goodness Inter played in yellow. The black-and-blue colours weren't soiled, but the club's glorious European history was.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘La débâcle': Italian press turn on Inzaghi after Inter's night of misery
On the front pages of Italy's newspapers, the Champions League final was told as a 'nightmare', a 'humiliation', and a 'rout'. Tuttosport at least found room for humour with a 'DisIntergrated' pun. La Stampa, in deference to the victors Paris Saint-Germain, went instead with a French phrase: 'La débâcle'. Any team can lose a Champions League final but Internazionale were the first to do so by a five-goal margin. The final indignity of a season in which they aspired to repeat the treble they won under José Mourinho, only to come unstuck at the last: losing the Coppa Italia semi-final to neighbours Milan and then missing out on the Serie A title by one point. 'It could have been all or nothing,' acknowledged Franco Vanni in La Repubblica. 'It was nothing, in the most painful way possible. A sort of reverse perfection … a climax of suffering which is the photographic negative of the joys of 2010, year of the Inter treble and the last Italian joy [in this competition].' Everywhere there was acknowledgment of Paris Saint-Germain's quality and the astonishing job Luis Enrique has done in remaking this team according to his vision: young, dynamic, furiously competitive. But the focus, understandably, for Italian audiences was on how their own league's representatives could bow out so meekly. What had happened to the relentless mindset that allowed this team to score 11 times in four games against Barcelona and Bayern Munich? 'I'm sure no Inter lineup would have had a chance against this PSG,' said the veteran pundit Paolo Condò in a video blog for Il Corriere dello Sport. 'But even if you are slipping into the abyss, in a final you have a duty to try.' Simone Inzaghi was criticised for being outschemed by Luis Enrique and for failing to adapt after the game had begun. La Gazzetta Sportiva rated his performance as a 3/10 – even lower than the score they gave to the worst player, Federico Dimarco. '[Inzaghi] does not understand a thing of PSG's rotations and press,' ran the accompanying text. 'Almost embarrassing choices on the substitutions. Maybe he will remake himself in the Asian Champions League. Maybe.' Inzaghi is reported to have received a substantial contract offer to take over as manager of Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, though he declined to talk about his future after the final. He had said repeatedly in the buildup to the game that he plans to meet with Inter's directors on Tuesday. This result, unquestionably, had changed the context of their discussions. 'And now, the cruelty of the question and of doubt,' wrote Maurizio Crosetti for La Repubblica. 'Is Simone Inzaghi the manager who took Inter within a step of winning it all, or is he the manager who in four years lost two scudetti badly and as many Champions League finals? 'If he had won this cup, maybe Inzaghi could have left more easily, like Mourinho after Madrid. And yet, after this, how can he stay?' Comparisons with the Special One were impossible to escape. As Leo Turrini put it in Quotidiano Sportivo, 'This season that made fans dream of a repeat of Mourinho's treble ended with the equally Mourinho-ian 'Zeru tituli'. There were some defences of Inzaghi, too, Alberto dalla Palma noting in Il Messaggero that Inter ought still to thank their manager for four years of highly competitive performances in the Champions League, relying on many players who joined on free transfers. Gazzetta reported Inter will close this season with their highest-ever revenues and expect to report a profit – some turnaround from the €246m losses they posted in the last season before Inzaghi took charge. But fans live for glory on the pitch, not the balance sheet. 'From yesterday, for Inter supporters, Munich in Bavaria is no longer the kingdom of the beloved Kalle Rummenigge nor the moor ridden by Nicolino Berti but a land of shame,' wrote Luigi Garlando in the pink paper. 'You should never use this word for sporting things, but when the fans experience embarrassment at such a bewildering, humiliating display, so much that they suffer just for their sense of belonging, there is no more appropriate term. A disgrace for Italian football, too.' 'A sporting massacre, a Korea, a Mineirazo,' he continued, referencing the most infamous World Cup defeats suffered by Italy and Germany. 'Thank goodness Inter played in yellow. The black-and-blue colours weren't soiled, but the club's glorious European history was.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Incredible moment Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi LOSES IT on the touchline in furious meltdown as his side are battered by PSG
Inter Milan 's fiery manager Simone Inzaghi went ballistic on the touchline during his side's 5-0 humiliation by PSG in the Champions League final. The Italian was booked by referee Istvan Kovacs for hios outburst while his side were 2-0 down 58 minutes into the game. Inzaghi threw his coat onto the floor and gesticulated wildly before setling in for a miserable next half-hour in which his team were ripped to shreds. Internazionale's boss is known for his volatile demeanour on the touchline - he was red carded in March and May for dissent during Serie A games. Saturday night completed a disappointing end of the season for Inter, who fell behind Napoli in the final two games of the season to surrender the Scudetto. Then, at the hands of Luis Enrique's Treble-winning PSG, Inter suffered their second Champions League final loss in three seasons, having lost to Manchester City 1-0 in 2023. At full time, he was gracious in defeat, saying: 'PSG clearly deserved to win this match. We are very disappointed, but we had a great Champions League campaign and I am proud of my team. 'Defeats can make you stronger. This one hurts a lot, like the one against Manchester City in Istanbul [2023 final]. 'We were more tired, we weren't fresh and PSG were always on the ball before us. But we played for our league title until last Friday and they [PSG] won their league weeks ago. 'We knew they were stronger technically and we weren't organised tactically, so we deserved to lose, bottom line. 'We failed to win the most important match and we are very disappointed, but we have been through this before. When you lose a final, it always leaves it marks.' This could be a heartbreaking exit for Inzaghi, who is weighing up an offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal. Footmercato reported that the two parties have even reached a verbal agreement, while a figure of £25million for his services has been touted. He was light-lipped on his future after losing the final, saying: 'My future? We will see in the next days. 'I will meet with the club and we will assess the situation together.' In the build-up, he painted a positive picture of his time at the San Siro, insisitng: 'I'm happy in this company, so I have everything I want to do well and get great satisfaction.'
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Champions League Referee Ends The Fight Early As PSG Win Historic Final
MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 31: Marquinhos of Paris Saint Germain celebrates victory with the trophy after ... More the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at Munich Football Arena on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) As Paris Saint-Germain coasted to a convincing 5-0 victory in the UEFA Champions League final against Internazionale, the referee for the final, István Kovács, decided enough was enough and blew his whistle at the earliest opportunity. Like a boxing referee who stops the bout before time to prevent serious injury when one fighter is dominant, Kovács decided Inter had taken enough punishment, and no time was added on at the end of the second half as would normally be the case. Just a few seconds past the 90-minute mark, the whistle sounded, catching a few TV and radio commentators off guard as they prepared their final lines to announce PSG as the 2025 Champions League winner. In truth, those broadcasters and journalists working on the game had had plenty of time to prepare their closing chapter and verse, as it looked from very early on like there would be only one winner in this game. Once Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring for PSG in the 12th minute, and Désiré Doué followed it up with a second on 20 minutes, a one-sided game was on the cards. MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 31: Referee István Kovács (R) speaks to Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris ... More Saint-Germain (L) during the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at Munich Football Arena on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Sports) PSG were strong, but Inter's defence looked ragged at times, and they struggled to keep their defensive line organised. Bad defending was as much to blame for the lopsided result as good attacking. Hakimi's goal could have been prevented had the Italian team played a half-decent offside trap, but as it was, the line was straggly and unorganized. The combination of these two things produced a historic scoreline. Though PSG was only 2-0 up at halftime, Inter never looked like getting back into it. The team from Milan had only managed two shots in total in the first half, neither on target, with an xG of just 0.19. The second half saw PSG secure the win through a second goal for Désiré Doué and further goals for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu. dpatop - 31 May 2025, Bavaria, Munich: Soccer: Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain - Inter Milan, ... More knockout round, final, Munich Football Arena. Desire Doue of Paris celebrates his goal to make it 3-0. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images) This 5-0 win for PSG was the largest winning margin in the history of the European Cup, now known as the Champions League. The only other teams that have scored five or more goals in a European Cup final are the great Benfica side featuring Eusébio, which defeated Real Madrid 5-3 in Amsterdam in 1962, and Real Madrid themselves a couple of years earlier in 1960 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, when Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano combined to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. But no team has ever won a European Cup / Champions League final by a five-goal margin. In context, it was not really surprising or controversial that the referee blew on the 90-minute mark, but it is an unusual occurrence for such a high-profile, competitive match. Most games will have at least four minutes added on at the end of a game, and with six stoppages for substitutions and three for the goals scored, at least three would have been expected in this game. It is sometimes the case that referees will recognize the situation and call time on the game as soon as the 90 minutes of normal time are up. The early whistle from Kovács, who performed his refereeing duties well in a relatively uncontroversial game, was just one indication of how one-sided it was. The scoreline itself shows as much, and the stats show the same. This young PSG side, led by manager Luis Enrique, has undoubtedly been the best team in Europe in 2025, convincing throughout the knockout stages despite an unremarkable group stage performance. It now has the club's first European Cup to show for it.
