Memorable moments: he came to Inter, saw and won everything he could. The legendary treble, however, began a decline

It was the 2009/10 season and Inter Milan were entering it as Italian champions. Jose Mourinho did an excellent job with the team. Few, if any, expected what would happen. The Portuguese strategist led his charges to a historic treble.

The foundations were laid in the first season

The summer of 2008 was very interesting in Italy. Especially in Milan, specifically in the Inter team. The latter made a very interesting decision when Roberto Mancini, who had won three league titles in a row and two Italian Super Cup trophies, was sacked.

But Mancini had no results in the most important competition. The Champions League. From 2004 until 2008, he never got further than the quarter-finals. On the other hand, three times the Nerazzurri didn’t even reach the quarter-finals.

The Italian was replaced by a Portuguese. Jose Mourinho, who was unexpectedly sacked from Chelsea in September 2007, which caused a big protest from Blues fans in London. So he went to Italy with confidence, and fully rested to boot.

Inter already had a full squad, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Javier Zanetti, Julio Cesar, Maicon, Esteban Cambiasso, Marco Matterazzi and Luis Figo. There was also the talented Mario Balotelli.

Mourinho brought in Ricardo Quaresma to add to the mix, with the experienced Hernán Crespo and Sulley Muntari up for grabs for free.

The Portuguese strategist had no significant problems to follow his predecessor Mancini. Like him, he won the Serie A title in his first season and also dominated the Italian Super Cup. But he failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The team had character, it had quality, but there was still something missing in Mourinho’s jigsaw. And so changes were made.

A historic season began with a transfer scramble

Mourinho was satisfied in his own way after the first season. But not enough. And he committed to some very bold changes. Patrick Vieira or the aforementioned Crespo didn’t have his contract extended, Luis Figo retired, Maxwell and talented stopper Leonardo Bonucci were also packed.

But what was the strangest move? An unexpected swap with Barcelona. Inter let go of last season’s top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in turn signed Samuel Eto’o. In addition, Diego Milito arrived from Genoa for 28 million euros.

And that was not all. Wesley Sneijder arrived at the San Siro for 15 million and the legendary stopper Lúcio from Bayern Munich for 7 million. Thiago Motta also proved to be an important signing.

The spectacular ride has begun. But first, the right line-up had to be found. That was done.

Cesar in goal, Lúcio and Walter Samuel were the heart of the defence, Stankovic, Cambiasso shone in midfield, Zanetti captained where needed, Sneijder was the offensive leader and if you have Milito, Eto’o, Balotelli or Goran Pandev in attack, you have nothing to worry about.

Mourinho’s main recipe? Character and heart

But names alone are not enough. Mourinho was well aware of that. He based the team on incredible teamwork, dedication and character. It may not have been the team that played the most beautiful football. But it was certainly the most selfless. Composed of heartthrobs hungry for one thing. To make history.

For many of the players on the team, 2009/10 was a season of a lifetime. They’ve never been able to build on it 100%. However, their story is a powerful one. They were able to find the recipe for a seemingly unstoppable Barcelona, for example. Albeit in the form of a completely new form of concrete, but very effective.

Inter won the league that year by two points ahead of AS Roma. They also won the Coppa Italia. But the one thing that sticks in everyone’s mind is the most precious trophy the club coveted. The Champions League. The last time the Nerazzurri won it was in 1965.

So Mourinho came, saw and won. In every way. He created legends. A team that will never be forgotten. They faced Barcelona, Kazan and Dynamo Kiev in the Millionaire’s Cup. They came from second place. They went on to knock out Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona and then Bayern Munich in the final.

Sneijder and Milito in particular shone in key matches. Milito was the club’s top scorer, scoring 30 goals in all competitions. Sneijder, on the other hand, collected assists and was the best passer in the Champions League season.

Mourinho’s short era was replaced by a dark period

Mourinho made history at Inter. He managed a truly spectacular feat. But it all had a “sad” climax. The Portuguese was lassoed by Real Madrid and understandably got caught. It was a big challenge for him.

Inter, however, seemed unprepared for the move and it went downhill from there. The next season, without Mourinho, they finished second in the league and won the cup and the Italian Super Cup, not missing out on winning the Club World Cup.

But then came the decline, during which Inter fell by the wayside. The famous big club became a slightly above average, or at times even mediocre, club in Serie A.

Now the situation is much better. The club has big stars, managed to win the title in 2021 after 11 long years and overall Inter must be reckoned with at least in the Italian league. However, the Nerazzurri are far from Mourinho’s short era.

Source: Inter Milan, UEFA, Transfermarkt