Despite losing the 2023 Champions League final against Manchester City, Inter should look at the future with positivity. Simone Inzaghi's side was one of the surprises of the European season, with Inter managing to play their first Champions League final since 2010. They may have lost, but the Italian team can now look to improving their roster in the summer and prepare for a third season under Inzaghi, who arrived in the summer 2021 after the departure of Antonio Conte.
The Inter project under Chinese owners and president Steven Zhang faced some issues after the 2020 Covid outbreak. In particular, Inter suffered the financial repercussions of the pandemic and the whole project had to change. Inter couldn't sign players like before, and the board had to sell players to "save" the club. Former Inter coach Conte was not open to staying under those conditions and he left in the summer of 2021, only a few days after bringing back the title to Inter eleven years after the last time.
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Inter sold two key players from the roster in right back Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain and Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, and they also lost Christian Eriksen after his heart issues as he couldn't play anymore in the Italian league. With the first two gone, the Nerazzurri could financially breathe. Former Lazio manager Inzaghi was appointed as the new head coach, with the difficult role to replace a manager like Conte. Inzaghi immediately brought his optimism and style to his new club, and despite losing the title to city rivals AC Milan in his first season in charge, he managed to win both Supercoppa and Coppa Italia during the 2021-22 season.
His second season at the club was successful again, despite a not so positive Serie A campaign, where Inter lost 12 games. Inter managed to end up third and qualify again for the group stage of the Champions League, and at the same time won the Supercoppa Italiana against AC Milan and the Coppa Italia against Fiorentina. More than the two trophies, Inter also reached their first Champions League final since 2010, after beating FC Barcelona in the group stage, Porto in the Round of 16, Benfica in the quarter finals, and most importantly, city rivals AC Milan in the semifinals.
Inter lost the final to Manchester City, that's true, however, Inter can look at the defeat through a positive lens. First of all, Inter lost to Pep Guardiola's team, probably the best team around Europe, one that just won the treble this season. For many, the final was an expected defeat for the Nerazzurri, but the game showed the opposite. Inter played a really good game, only lost to one goal against the English giants, and went close to scoring in the last minutes of the final. Inter fans are disappointed, for sure, but who could predict they'd see Inter playing at this level against Guardiola's team at the beginning of the season or even before the final itself?
If the club make the right moves in the summer, there are many reasons to believe that this European campaign wasn't just a coincidence and Inter can hope to play another European final in the near future.
The Nerazzurri, under Inzaghi, showed that they can compete against the biggest clubs in Europe. Last season Inter were knocked out by Liverpool, who later lost the 2022 Champions League final against Real Madrid. This year, Inter lost to Bayern Munich twice in the group stage, but also drew away against FC Barcelona and won at home against the team coached by Xavi. Against City, despite losing the final, Inzaghi's side showed that they could compete.
How can Inter improve?
Thanks to this season's results on the pitch, Inter's finances are in much better shape compared to the last few summers, but at the same time the Italian side are facing the settlement agreement they signed with UEFA last year that will definitely affect the work of the Inter's directors in the summer. Center-back Milan Skriniar will leave the club as a free agent after he didn't extend his deal with the Italian club and will sign with Paris Saint-Germain. Inter will have to replace him and recent reports suggest that current Chelsea's defender Kalidou Koulibaly is a player that might be a the target for the summer. Apart from the center back, the Nerazzurri will also have to sign another midfielder and possibly a new striker.
It will also be interesting to understand what will happen with Romelu Lukaku, with his future at the club still in doubt. In the coming days, Chelsea and Inter will sit down to discuss his future and understand what can happen next year. Lukaku wants to stay at Inter, but his future will also depend on Chelsea, as they signed him for €115 million and loaned him out last year after the player himself asked to leave the Premier League. There are rumours that Chelsea might also ask to include goalkeeper Andre Onana in the deal, which could force Inter to sign another starting goalkeeper next season.
Inter need another striker, regardless of what happens with Lukaku, as also the future of Edin Dzeko is in doubt. The former Manchester City striker might leave this summer, as his deal with Inter expires in June and it's still not clear what will happen with him. In case he leaves, Inter need another central striker that can play alongside Lautaro Martinez or Romelu Lukaku. Argentinian striker Joaquin Correa is also not sure to stay at Inter, with the club likely open to listening to potential bids in the summer.
With this in mind, the feeling is that the cycle of this squad coached by Inzaghi is not over. With the right moves, this team can hope to compete again next season in the Champions League, but will also have to focus more on the Italian Serie A, unlikely the year that just ended. Inter's priority has to be winning the Scudetto again, as the next one will be a special one. Inter are only one title away from the second star, the 20th Serie A title in the history of the club. If Inzaghi makes it, he will forever be part of the history of this club.
