What followed was one of the most memorable battles in Champions League history.
Mourinho failed to navigate his way past Barcelona at the top of the group and received an acid test in the last-16 as a result, up against his previous club Chelsea.Īt his peak, these were the kind of occasions Mourinho lived for, and Inter swept aside the Blues 3-1 on aggregate to reach the last eight.ĬSKA Moscow were no match in the quarter-finals, before the mighty Barcelona stood in their way of a place in the Madrid showpiece. This changed in the space of two seasons under the Special One, who masterminded the club's first European triumph since 1965 in his second campaign, ensuring Zanetti put the cherry on top of his storied career.Īnd a good omen for Inzaghi and Co is that Inter managed to go all the way and lift the trophy in Madrid that season despite finishing as runners-up in the group stage - just like they did this term. But the big one had eluded him up until that point. The legendary right back had already made close to 600 appearances when Mourinho arrived in 2008, while claiming three Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias and the UEFA Cup. Today, he serves his beloved team from inside the boardroom as vice-president. Javier Zanetti was the captain of Inter's Class of 2010, enjoying an Indian summer under Mourinho at the age of 36. But incredibly, one of them still remains at San Siro.
Simone Inzaghi also lacks the vast array of experienced, world-class operators Mourinho had at his disposal all those years ago. Unlike in 2010, when Mourinho's side rocked up in Madrid as clear favourites after dumping out Guardiola's Barcelona in the semi-finals, Inter are heavy outsiders heading into this showdown with the English champions, who have dreams of matching arch-rivals Manchester United's historic Treble win of 1998-99. More than a decade later they are finally back in a Champions League final, though this time Inter are aiming to thwart a Treble rather than win one themselves as they take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Yet the Portuguese's almost immediate departure for Real Madrid and that very stadium marked the beginning of a rollercoaster ride in Milan. When Jose Mourinho guided them to European glory on that famous night in 2010, sealing an unprecedented Treble in the process, Inter were on top of the world at the Bernabeu.
In the 13 years which have followed, the Italian club has experienced a takeover at board level, financial difficulties, a fall from grace and an eventual return to the top as Serie A champions in 2021. A lot has changed since Inter Milan last contested a Champions League final.
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