After the debacle in Munich, Inter‘s management is at a crossroads with two diametrically opposed paths. Keeping Simone Inzaghi or bringing in Cristian Chivu or Patrick Vieira—along with the sale of Jan Bisseck and Davide Frattesi, and the retention of Francesco Acerbi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan—would indicate that Inter at Appiano Gentile hasn’t learned the lesson, not just in Munich against PSG, but also against Bologna, Milan, and Lazio. On the other hand, with Cesc Fabregas or Roberto De Zerbi on the bench and a major squad overhaul in which at least a third of the current roster would be replaced, the conditions would be set for Inter to rise from the ashes of Munich like a phoenix.Inzaghi non committal to Inter after a UCL lossTrophies aren’t won with players in the twilight of their careers, nor are new cycles started that way. Of course, there are exceptions, but they only prove the rule. Acerbi is no Maldini, and Mkhitaryan is no Giggs. Inter is no longer in financial trouble as in past years and is not obliged to sell players to balance the books or comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play, which applies to Inter but not to PSG. Inzaghi has won only one Scudetto and two Coppa Italia titles in four years—too little considering he had the strongest squad in Serie A throughout. In those four years, he has enabled Inter to make over 100 million euros in profit through player trading. When you tally up all sales and purchases from summer 2021 until now, Inter has a net positive balance of almost 101 million. This fact becomes even more significant when considering that Inter has a solid team core to begin a new cycle: Bastoni, Bisseck, Barella, Dimarco, Lautaro, and Thuram provide a strong foundation. Calhanoglu is expected to nurture Petar Sučić and Dumfries, under whose guidance Luis Henrique should develop.Serie A recap: Napoli’s Scudetto in a photo finish, Inter’s collapse on all fronts, and the club that waited 50 yearsHowever, if Inter decides to stick with aging players and replace them with others who are also well past their prime, the future looks bleak. Specifically, with Acerbi as a starter and De Vrij as a backup, there is no future. Keeping Mkhitaryan would be a double loss—on the pitch due to his performance decline (his drop in form was clear in the second half of the season) and off the pitch by stifling and devaluing midfielders like Zielinski and Frattesi, who are benched. Inter’s transfer window and next season’s plans heavily depend on whether Inzaghi stays or a new coach is appointed. Sticking with Inzaghi raises many questions—either unanswered or with grim implications. He hasn’t just made one mistake in the last six weeks—he’s made at least six. Before the PSG game, Inter threw away the Scudetto with draws against Parma and Lazio and losses to Bologna and Roma, plus the Coppa Italia semifinal return leg against Milan.Inter Milan were eyeing a treble at the end of the season and then:🚫 Lost Coppa Italia to Milan in semifinals 🚫 Lost Serie A title to Napoli by one point🚫 Lost UCL final to PSG by five goalsDamn 🫠 pic.twitter.com/zViWDX5HSV— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 1, 2025 Maybe this season will help Inzaghi make a qualitative leap in his career, but it’s unlikely that it will happen at Inter. If there were doubts before Saturday’s Champions League final that he was “spent” and had nothing more to offer Inter, they’re gone now. The final made it clear that Inter and Inzaghi have reached the end of the road. A positive note is President Beppe Marotta’s decision to settle the coaching situation in the coming days. Inter will head to the first Club World Cup with a coach who will also lead the team in the new season. The question of Inzaghi staying or leaving will be definitively resolved in the next few days. The Munich debacle took away his leverage to ask for a salary increase from the current 6.5 million euros plus bonuses—a figure far lower than what Al Hilal is offering. A wildcard in the situation is Inzaghi’s wife, who reportedly does not want to live in Riyadh, in a society where women are not equal and cannot live freely.How dare you play the UCL final like this?!Among the names circulating for the Inter job, two are promising while the other two raise doubts. There’s no doubt that Cesc Fabregas is the best option for Inter’s bench. However, beating the Hartono brothers to get him won’t be easy. Only Fabregas’s firm and clear will to take the Inter job could change the situation—otherwise, the money the Hartonos can offer surpasses Inter’s capabilities. Roberto De Zerbi is another exciting name who opens new horizons. The Italian coach gained valuable international experience in recent years and has further honed his exceptional talent, placing him among Europe’s most promising managers. Patrick Vieira and Cristian Chivu have the advantage of having worn the Inter shirt as players, but their coaching experience is mainly with youth teams or in relegation battles—not a guarantee that Inter will remain at the top of Italian and European football. With Fabregas or De Zerbi, questions about aging players would no longer arise. Both coaches don’t care about age, but their demands on players in both phases of the game leave little room for those not in top physical condition.##EDITORS_CHOICE##In the current squad, at least ten players need to be replaced. Correa and Arnautović do not deserve contract renewals when their deals expire in under a month. Taremi and Asllani are not up to the level Inter aspires to. Darmian, Acerbi, and Mkhitaryan are at the end of their careers, and Inter is too big a club to be paying for someone’s retirement extension. Zielinski, Zalewski, and Frattesi are on the fence, and their future at the club depends on who will coach next season. Marotta and Ausilio’s moves to bring in Sučić and Luis Henrique are encouraging. Both are 23-year-olds with good potential. Fortunately, they won’t have to carry the responsibility from day one at Appiano Gentile, as Calhanoglu and Dumfries are still first-choice in their positions. The Croatian international is a modern midfielder capable of playing in several roles.##NAJAVA_MECA_8963231##The arrival of Fabregas or De Zerbi would significantly shuffle the deck, as the former favors a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, while the latter has recently preferred 3-4-2-1. With either of them, the potential signing of Nico Paz would be a great move. Let’s not forget the exceptionally talented Valentín Carboni, who is recovering from a serious injury and could become next season’s revelation under Cesc or De Zerbi. In recent weeks, Inter has opened talks with Manchester United, and it’s not out of the question that one of the two players who made a name for themselves in Serie A—Zirkzee or Hojlund—could arrive on loan with a purchase option or conditional obligation. The sale of Davide Frattesi for 30 million euros, the asking price set by Inter, has some logic and justification. However, if Inzaghi leaves, it might make sense to give him one more season. The potential departure of Bisseck to the Premier League for 30 million is more questionable. Despite some mistakes (handballs leading to penalties against Lazio and Genoa that cost Inter four points), the German has shown he has room to grow—especially considering he was bought for only 7 million.
