Inzaghi: 'Inter used to only hope to enter the Champions League round of 16'
"19 months ago, the management asked me to enter the round of 16 of the Champions League," Inzaghi said after the semi-final second leg won 2-0 at Giuseppe Meazza on the evening of May 16. "Inter haven't done that since the 2011-2012 season. I think last season was good, but this season is even better."
Last season, Inzaghi brought Inter to the round of 16, before stopping because he lost 1-2 to Liverpool. This season, he and his students went further, winning Porto 1-0 in the round of 16, Benfica 5-3 in the quarterfinals and Milan 3-0 in the semi-finals.
This will be Inter's first Champions League final since 2010. They will play the sixth final in the club's history. In the previous five games, they won three and lost two. "In the next few days, we might realize what happened," Inzaghi said. "From the beginning it was a dream. But we always believed, ran an extraordinary race and won the semi-final derby in a very satisfying way."
To reach the Champions League final, according to Inzaghi, the players showed strength, determination, aggression and focus. He also praised the achievement of winning all four Milan derbies since January. "After April 1, we always play at a density of three or four days a game," added Inzaghi. "But we are in the Italian Cup final, the Champions League final and on the right track in Serie A."
In the final, Inter will meet the winner of the Man City - Real Madrid pair. In the semi-final first leg, Man City drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu. "They are two of the best teams in Europe," commented Inzaghi. "The first leg is even and you can see their quality. I will watch their upcoming match with great interest."
Inter is currently ranked third in Serie A. They own 66 points after 35 matches, five points more than the fifth ranked team Milan. Inter only need to win two of the last three to secure a place in the Top 4.
On May 24, Inzaghi's teachers and students will play the final of the Italian Cup with Fiorentina in Rome. On June 10, they will play the Champions League final in Istanbul, Türkiye. Last season, Inter won the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup. They successfully defended the Italian Super Cup when they beat Milan 3-0 on January 18.
