Despite a 2-0 loss against Real Madrid, Richard Hall believes Inter‘s glass is half full ahead of a new year which will be full of challenges for the Nerazzurri, both on and off the pitch.
Failure to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu was undoubtedly disappointing, but it was far from a massive problem for the Nerazzurri. Inter still qualified from the Champions League group stages for the first time in ten years and they are still looking strong domestically.
They have a lot to look forward to between now and the end of the year and they will hope with a mixture of results on the pitch, contract renewals and some restructuring of the finances by the ownership, that 2022 could be a very good year for them.
European qualification was the aim and it was achieved. They finished second in the group to Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, three points ahead of Sheriff and did what they expected to do to qualify. No more, no less. The last game in Madrid saw the Milanese produce some good football and they could consider themselves unlucky to go in 1-0 at halftime.
Barella blames himself and Militao for red card against Real Madrid
The attacking plan was continued in the second half, that was until Nicolo Barella got sent off. This changed the game and the midfielder promptly apologised to all concerned. Still, whilst the Italian media can criticise correctly that Inter are not clinical enough in Europe, they can still conclude that they have achieved the objective.
Domestically Inter also have a chance to finish the year in a strong situation. Currently, they sit only a point below Milan in second place and have won their last four league games, including a 3-0 demolition of Roma last week. They have not lost since mid-October, their only defeat of the season against Lazio. Coming up are fixtures that the Nerazzurri should believe are favourable. These include this weekend’s game at home to Cagliari, a visit to Salernitana and a home tie against Torino to end 2021. These, on paper, should be games they can navigate.
The club also shows that players want to stay in this current environment and commit to the future. Lautaro Martinez has signed until 2026, Barella has also extended until that year, whilst Milan Skriniar and Marcelo Brozovic look likely to sign soon. Ivan Perisic has been performing brilliantly this season but his new contract looks less likely as at 33-years of age, he is reportedly demanding figures that are far too high and Inter would prefer him to take a lower wage at this moment in his career. Even so, the same reports claim that Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic is lined up as a replacement.
Just how much Inter can spend in the window is still a mystery and perhaps it is to those at the club as well. The ownership has been an issue for some time and the problems Suning faces have been well documented. Tuttosport reported this week that the group are now talking to an advisor who can help them look for a minority shareholder.
This shareholder would hold less than a 50% stake in the Milanese giants and this may be off-putting for some investors however, it is imperative that Suning find somebody willing to do this as they need the capital to repay Oaktree Capital Group’s loan, which they have to complete in the next few years. Even so, good progress has been made on the playing side, with the new commercial deals coming in, but they will need to see the new stakeholders sorted before even thinking of upgrading or re-building San Siro.
Inter have been on an upward trajectory since Suning arrived. A Scudetto win, the creation of a strong squad, they have replaced key parts of the squad thanks to Beppe Marotta and Simone Inzaghi has them qualified from their Champions League group and they sit one point away from the top of Serie A.
There is still work to do, but they have the basis of a team that can go on for some years and get even better. Perhaps the only issue right now is that they need to spend and improve the squad whilst they are in the ascendance. However, at Inter right now, the glass is certainly more than half full than empty. When was the last time the fans waited with anticipation for their next opponents in the Champions League round of 16? The race is on.
Getting into the UCL knockout stages is a massive financial boost for Inter but I don’t think they need to spend to strengthen the squad because tbt there isn’t much good quality out there within their budget. Instead look at giving young players like Satriano more playing time or send on loan to other Serie A clubs like Pinamonti at Empoli. They already have a squad capable of challenging for the league. Progressing past the UCL round of 16 would be a bonus.