Mourinho’s legendary Inter Milan, who won everything they could in 2010

In this text we look back to the 2009/10 season, when José Mourinho and his Inter Milan kind of shocked the football world. An amazing treble, i.e. winning the Italian league, the Italian Cup and the European Champions League, and dominating the domestic and European scene, would have been expected by few before the season. Mourinho showed then, after his successes with Porto and Chelsea as well as many times later, that he is definitely not an old hand.

It was Mourinho’s second season at Inter Milan. Admittedly, the first one wasn’t bad either. Triumphing in the domestic league, the semi-finals of the League Cup or the eighth final of the Champions League cannot be judged as a failed season. However, in the next one, the Portuguese strategist took the notion of success to a new level, winning the treble and leaving an indelible legacy on the blue and black Milan side.

In the highly successful 2009/10 season in the league, Inter finished two points ahead of second-placed AS Roma and twelve points ahead of third-placed AC Milan. Even in the League Cup, it was AS Roma who eventually finished second behind champions Inter.

Mourinho’s Inter played very effective and positionally advanced football. Traditionally from a secure defence, waiting for their opportunity in deadly breakout situations. Inter’s football of a decade ago was of a high tactical standard, but at the same time based on simple principles that may not have included footballing beauty, but above all functionality and the aforementioned efficiency.

A telling example is the legendary 2009/10 Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona, when Mourinho, against all odds and predictions, managed to stop Guardiola’s then-dominant Barcelona and deny them the chance to be the first ever team to defend their triumph in the millionaire competition.

The absolutely pivotal game was the first leg in Milan, when Barcelona went into the lead thanks to Pedro, but Inter eventually turned it around to a final 3-1 to Inter thanks to the key duo of Sneijder and Milito. Inter’s defence was already able to handle the star Lionel Messi at that time. “The key was not to let Messi play,” as Mourinho himself says in the attached video.

The rematch at Camp Nou was another masterstroke by the coach, thanks to the early sending off of Milan’s Motta. Mourinho’s strategy was clear, to defend the promotion result at all costs. However, neither the final possession of the ball 76% to 24% in favour of the home side nor the fact that Inter did not have a single shot on target could change the fact that Barcelona’s 1-0 win was not enough.

Apart from Milito and Sneijder, other key Inter players who managed the subsequent final against Bayern Munich included goalkeeper Júlio César, defenders Maicon, Lúcio, Walter Samuel, midfielders Cambiasso and Zanetti and strikers Eto’o and Pandev.

Source: The Coaches Voice