How Simone Inzaghi restored Inter Milan to the top of European football
FIFA take a deep dive into Simone Inzaghi's 2023, as the Italian coach prepares to battle it out with Pep Guardiola and Luciano Spalletti for the Best FIFA Men's Coach of the Year Award.
Simone Inzaghi has been nominated for the Best FIFA Men's Coach of the Year Award
He won two trophies and took Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League final
Read on for all you need to know about the Italian coach
Both Simone Inzaghi and Inter Milan needed a foundation upon which to build their ascent to the top level of European football, and the second half of 2022-2023 provided it.
Read on for all you need to know about the man who lifted two trophies during a memorable 2023, as well as taking the Nerazzurri to a first UEFA Champions League final in 13 years, to claim his spot on The Best FIFA Men's Coach Award podium alongside Pep Guardiola and Luciano Spalletti.
As winners of the 2021-2022 Coppa Italia, Inter took their place in the final of the Italian Super Cup held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their opponents? None other than city rivals AC Milan.
Played on 18 January 2023, it was a one-sided affair from start to finish: Inter took the lead as early as the 10th minute through the excellent Federico Dimarco, before Edin Dzeko doubled their advantage just over 10 minutes later to smooth their path to the trophy. Having managed the game successfully, Inzaghi's team sealed the win with a 77th-minute goal from Lautaro Martínez, one of their standout performers in 2023.
Although Napoli offered no hope to their rivals in Serie A as they ran away with the title during the second half of the campaign, the domestic cups in Italy were all about Inter. They went on to win the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa for the second year in a row to secure their second piece of silverware later in 2023.
Having beaten Juventus in the semi-final, the Nerazzurri came up against Vincenzo Italiano's Fiorentina in Rome on 24 May. Inzaghi's men faced an uphill struggle when Nico Gonzalez put La Viola ahead in the third minute, but that opener served only to awaken the beast.
Two goals by Martínez, scored in the 29th and 37th minute, had turned the game around by half-time. In the second half, Inter did well to stave off Fiorentina's attempts to equalise and added another piece of silverware to their ever-growing trophy cabinet.
It might seem something of a paradox but, in terms of their growth, Inter's greatest step forward came not by lifting silverware. Obviously, falling to defeat in the Champions League final was bitterly disappointing for the Inter faithful, but simply reaching the final of Europe's most prestigious competition and taking an all-conquering Manchester City side to the final whistle in Istanbul was proof enough for Inzaghi and Inter of their potential.
The Nerazzurri's journey to the final begun with a second-place finish in the group stage behind Bayern Munich but ahead of Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen. They eliminated Portuguese duo Porto and Benfica in the Round of 16 and quarter-final respectively, before a historic, one-sided semi-final victory against AC Milan sealed their spot in the showpiece match.
The first half of the 2023-2024 season has demonstrated the extent to which Inter's Champions League journey and two titles last season have enhanced the mental fortitude of Inzaghi and his squad. The Nerazzurri are now a juggernaut cutting swathes through Serie A and continuing to perform well in Europe. They remain firmly in the hunt for this season's Scudetto, and will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase.