After three years of blood, sweat and tears, Simone Inzaghi transformed Inter into a team worthy of the second Scudetto star.
When the former striker hung up his boots back in 2010, he was not particularly tipped to be a strong tactician in the dugout. He spent six years learning the trade in the Lazio youth squads, working up to the Primavera before eventually being given a chance with the first team in 2016.
Inzaghi truly proved his mettle across his five years at Lazio, doing incredibly well despite the limited resources, guiding the club to a Coppa Italia title and two Supercoppa Italiana, adding to the three trophies won with the Primavera, showing his winning qualities in the dugout.
Inzaghi Impact
Despite this, Inzaghi still raised some eyebrows when he left the Italian capital in June 2021 to join up with Inter, replacing Antonio Conte, who had just guided the club to the Scudetto in the 2020-21 campaign.
There were some doubts regarding the former striker’s ability to find success at the highest level, but his first season almost immediately silenced his critics, almost tasting glory in his debut year in the Lombardy capital.
Inzaghi kept Inter in the thick of a tense title race with Milan and they ultimately finished two points behind their intercity rivals in the 2021-22 season. In the Coppa Italia, he lifted the trophy after a campaign that saw wins over Roma, the Rossoneri and Juventus, and also won the Supercoppa Italiana
Progression to the Champions League Round of 16 was also positive, and as such, the Inter coach immediately reset expectations, sending a statement that his side were ones to fear moving forward.
The 2022-23 season was one of highs and lows for Inzaghi and Inter; whilst they were clearly unable to keep up with Scudetto winners Napoli, their success in the cups continued with a Coppa Italia victory and a second-place finish in the Champions League, barely losing to Manchester City in the final.
Whilst it was another mostly positive campaign for the Nerazzurri, it also generated some fears that Inzaghi was more of a cup specialist than a coach capable of winning the league, a reputation he had already started to develop with Lazio.
Well, Inzaghi has silenced those whispers. The Italian tactician transformed Inter into a dominant force, using the Champions League final loss to galvanise his players and charge them into one of the most electric sides in Europe, far outclassing their rivals in Serie A.
After a tough three-year journey, the former striker has now truly proven himself as a coach capable of reaching the highest summits, and the next step now is surely the unfinished business in Europe’s premier club competition.