Inter Milan Returns To Champions League Final 2025 – Can They Win It This Time?

‎Inter Milan may not be the favorites for the Champions League final, but their impressive run to Saturday’s showdown with Paris Saint-Germain proves they can compete with the best.

‎Their journey highlights that the seasoned Italian outfit still has what it takes to challenge the top teams.

‎Simone Inzaghi’s team heads to Munich with a legitimate shot at going one better than in Istanbul two years ago, when a very similar line-up was narrowly beaten by Manchester City.

‎Inzaghi believed the 2023 final was a missed opportunity after facing off against the wealthy City, whose budget far exceeds that of Inter.

‎As a member of Europe’s traditional clubs, Inter is striving to keep pace with the continent’s top superclubs.

‎Qatari-owned PSG presents Inter with the chance to exorcise the ghost of Istanbul and conclude a thrilling season by securing the most coveted trophy in club football, especially after falling short in domestic competitions.

‎”The club and, above all, the players all know that we’re missing that final step to make history,” Inzaghi told reporters on Monday.

‎”Obviously, already having played the final helps you, but we also know that on the other side, there are players who have won the World Cup and have played in other finals, as well as a coach who has already won the Champions League.”

‎Inter has already come through thrilling ties against Bayern Munich and Barcelona, two of the pre-season favorites to win the Champions League.

‎And their incredible semi-final with Barca showed they can go toe-to-toe with a high-pressing, youthful side despite having a squad stacked with players rapidly heading towards the end of their careers.

‎Inter’s preferred starting XI has an average age of just over 30, with key players such as goalkeeper Yann Sommer (36), two-time cancer survivor Francesco Acerbi (37), and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (36) standing out due to their age.

‎Meanwhile, the oldest player in the PSG squad now is Marquinhos, at 31, a relative youngster compared to fellow central defender Acerbi.

‎Can Inter’s Aging Squad Keep Up?

‎An exhausting season, during which Inter fought for the Serie A title until the final day, has clearly taken a toll on the aging team. The standout moment amid a challenging final few weeks was their tie against Barcelona.

‎Inter looked capable of winning the treble after eliminating Bayern in the quarter-finals last month, with a handy three-point lead over Scudetto rivals Napoli and an Italian Cup semi-final against ailing AC Milan.

‎However, their momentum was shattered by three consecutive defeats in just a week, allowing Napoli to take the lead in Serie A and ending their domestic cup journey.

‎As a result, the Champions League became their only remaining chance to claim a trophies.

‎”There was a lot of suffering among the players, it would be pointless to deny it,” said Inzaghi of losing the Serie A title.

‎”The boys have been brilliant this season because we’ve played 59 matches and we’ve given everything on the pitch. We didn’t prioritize anything; we just tried to give everything that we had.”

‎Inter Milan’s Finances Under Inzaghi

‎Since the 2023 final, Inzaghi has significantly improved Inter’s fortunes despite major player departures. The club also underwent a forced takeover by US investment firm Oaktree last year after Suning, the previous owners, defaulted on around 395 million euros ($449 million) in debt.

‎Unlike PSG, who can splash over 70 million euros to bring in Serie A’s most exciting player in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Inter have had to scrape the bargain bucket to stay competitive.

‎Sommer, who arrived for less than seven million euros in 2023 is one of just three players alongside Frenchmen Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard in Inter’s first-choice line-up for Saturday not to be at the club two years ago.

‎”We’ve shown courage in every match of our Champions League campaign, and that’s why we’re in the final,” said Sommer on Monday.

‎”We have a lot of players who played in the final two years ago and that experience is important for us as a team.”