Much has been written about the stars of the show in Inter’s Scudetto winning campaign, so here’s three under appreciated figures behind the success.
Simone Inzaghi has transformed the Nerazzurri over the last three years, kickstarting a winning cycle that has seen many highs and lows, including multiple Coppa Italia victories and a brutally close Champions League final loss to Manchester City.
In the 2023-24 season, Inzaghi’s Inter found their rhythm, using their loss in Istanbul to galvanize them to glory in Serie A. It didn’t take long for the club to take a commanding lead in the title race and their momentum held up across the term, allowing them to secure their second Scudetto star.
Players like Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu have dominated the headlines as a result of the Nerazzurri’s success this term, so here’s three key players who deserve more recognition.
Three quietly key Inter stars
Matteo Darmian
The 34-year-old Italian full back is rarely the centre of attention in the Nerazzurri squad, but his quietly consistent work has been a vital part of the machine this campaign. He has seen over 2800 minutes of action across his first 39 matches, being a reliable wing back who isn’t afraid of the dirty work.
Darmian is a tactically flexible player, capable of playing as both a centre back and wing back, and he afforded Inzaghi and Inter peace of mind across the season, playing his part in their Scudetto success.
Yann Sommer
In the early stages of the season, the Swiss veteran’s consistency and strong shot stopping skills saw him quickly generate a good reputation, but as the weeks passed he quickly started to drop out of the conversation, despite regularly shining between the sticks.
Whilst it’s clear Sommer had a shining defence in front of him, he still rose to the task when needed, keeping 23 clean sheets and conceding just 21 goals in his first 39 matches of the campaign.
Stefan de Vrij
Once a stalwart of the Inter defence, the Dutchman started to slip out of view a little this season, failing to break past the 2000-minute mark before the club secured their Scudetto. Despite that, the 32-year-old worked hard to be a useful figure for Inzaghi.
De Vrij was not the first-choice centre back for the Nerazzurri but filled in when needed, proving a consistently helpful option on the bench, allowing his coach to rotate the backline often to maintain fitness. Whilst it wasn’t flashy, players like De Vrij are important elements to title-winning teams.