MILAN: Inter Milan was gunning for the treble just over a month ago. Then Inter lost in the Italian Cup semifinals to AC Milan, and lost its Serie A title by one point to Napoli.
The Nerazzurri's third and last shot at a trophy is on Saturday in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain and coach Simone Inzaghi doesn't want talk of it being his last match in charge to become another distraction for his side.
Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal is reportedly trying to tempt Inzaghi with a bumper offer of more than 20 million euros ($23 million) a season.
“Fortunately, my club knows me well,” Inzaghi said on Monday. “Every year, there are offers from Italy and abroad, from Saudi Arabia, but I think it would be crazy to think about that now."
Inzaghi was speaking at a media day ahead of the Champions League final, his and Inter’s second in three seasons after they lost to Manchester City in 2023. The Italian coach has been at Inter since 2021 and has one more year left on his contract.
“After the final, we’ll sit down and talk with a single goal in mind, and this always applies: The good of Inter,” Inzaghi said.
“If all the components and conditions are there we will move forward as we have always done in harmony these past few years.
“It would be crazy to talk now about something that doesn’t exist. Look at what awaits us on Saturday.”
Inter and Inzaghi have progressed in the coach’s four years at the club.
At Inter, Inzaghi finally shrugged off his “King of Cups” nickname when he lifted his first league trophy last year.
Before that, with Lazio and then Inter, Inzaghi won three Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups, earning him the title of “Re di Coppe” (“King of Cups”) because he had never coached a league champion.
But winning the Champions League would be a crowning achievement, especially after the disappointment of two years ago.
It would also completely alter the perception of a season in which Inter missed out on trophies by small margins. “That (Champions League win) would clearly make all the difference in the world,” Inzaghi said.
“The boys have been extraordinary this season because we played 59 games... We gave everything on the field, we didn’t think, we didn’t make choices, we tried to give everything we had … that was always our strength and we had an exciting journey in the Italian Cup, in Serie A and above all in the Champions League.”
Indeed, it has been in the Champions League that Inter has especially thrilled. The Nerazzurri beat Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals and won an extraordinary semifinal against Barcelona that saw 13 goals scored across two legs.
“We’ve reached a wonderful milestone and played some incredible games," Inzaghi said, “but we know one final step remains to fulfill a dream and make history.”