It's a shame that the Confederations Cup gets viewed with so much scepticism. It's generally perceived as a tournament put together to enable FIFA to peruse the preparation and facilities of next years World Cup host. Unfortunately, what often gets overlooked is the fact that the Confederations Cup offers competing nations some very handy match practice in tournament format prior to 2010's main event. What cannot be replicated of course, is the intensity and importance that a crucial World Cup game would naturally bring, but nevertheless, if utilised properly, the Confederations offers good competition, against some strong opposition.
La Nazionale's first game comes against the United States, here after winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup against a strong Mexico team. The two sides last met in the Group Stage of the Germany 2006, showing how the Confederations can pit together potential World Cup opponents. The US have become a regular fixture on the international scene, without really receiving the kind of kudos they deserve. They have appeared at the last five World Cups, managing to get to the quarter-final stage in 2002. The stars and stripes have also performed consistently in the Gold Cup of late, winning three of the last four events, and are looking well on course to qualify for 2010. The game in the States, even without David Beckhams ill-fated venture, has come on strong since the days of Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda, and the US squad boasts a number of recognisable names and faces from European Football. Still a large portion of the squad come from the MLS, and combined they will be looking for a good showing in South Africa ahead of the 2009 Gold Cup which takes place on home soil in July.
The States have traditionally based their game on strong tactical discipline and work rate, but often lack gloss. Tim Howard marshals a back four where Captain Carlos Bocanegra and Standard Liege’s Oguchi Onyewu form an organised central defensive combination. The midfield contains willing runners such as Pablo Mastroeni, DeMarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey, but there is no obvious creative spirit although Borussia Monchengladbach's Michael Bradley has been attracting noises in Germany as a good goal-scoring midfielder. Up-front the Americans rely on Bayern Munich's Landon Donovan, who also puts in the hard yards without being a genuine goal-threat.
One player who will be hoping to leave an impression on the world stage in the upcoming season will be 19-year-old striker Jozy Altidore, on loan at Spanish side Xerez from Villarreal. The former New York Red Bulls frontman is seen as the great bright hope for American soccer, and already holds a number of records, including the youngest player to score in an MLS Playoff and the youngest American to score an international hat-trick. His transfer to Villarreal in 2008 commanded a sum of almost £7m - the highest fee ever received for an MLS player. Strong and quick with a ferocious strike, Altidore has scored 6 goals in 11 internationals and can provide the necessary firepower which the States need to elevate themselves above being an organised, obdurate outfit.
Not that organised and obdurate doesn't get the job done. Greece and South Korea have both proven recently that hard work, good tactics and a sprinkling of luck can be fruitful, and the US will not be an easy task for any side. All of which make them ideal sparring partners as the Azzurri continue the build up towards defending their world crown. Saturday's 3-0 stroll over Northern Ireland contained a mixture of debutants and players "rewarded for a good season" by Marcelo Lippi, but Wednesday nights line-up was back to something approaching full strength in the chaotic 4-3 win over New Zealand, where the Kiwis led three times before Italy snatched it.
That performance contained enough defensive uncertainty to give Lippi cause for relative concern, even though Goalkeeper Marco Amelia's appalling show exaggerated the matter. On a more positive note, the striking combination of Alberto Gilardino and Fabio Quagliarella gave glimpses of a promising double-act, as the duo consistently linked up well during the Kiwi game. Giusppe Rossi also started in an attacking trident, although he was hauled off at half-time replaced by Andrea Pirlo. The plethora of forward players may cause Lippi's biggest selection dilemma in selecting how many, and what combination of strikers he is best using. It looks as if Gilardino and Quagliarella's form and understanding make them first choice, but it remains to be seen whether Lippi will opt for a third forward or trequartista operating off these two.
The squad essentially looks like Lippi's strongest. The coach deciding against picking an experimental group, which has been an option favoured recently by teams taking part in the Confederations. Lippi obviously accepts the ability of the competition to act as a decent dress rehearsal for the World Cup proper, and the event will give a good barometer as to how they are progressing, along with Brazil and European Champions Spain. The Azzurri will be keen to remedy the 2-0 defeat dished out by the Samba Boys early this year in a friendly at the Emirates - a result which brought an abrupt end to their record equalling 31 match unbeaten run. The Italians will get chance to avenge that night when they face Brazil later on in their group, ahead of a potential match-up against the Spanish – widely recognised as the best national side in the world at the moment.
Before all that comes the US game at the 50,000 capacity Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. An encounter in itself to sufficiently test the Azzurri. The Americans are the type of side you could run into in the latter stages of a World Cup, and it will be intriguing to see if Italy possess the necessary attacking guile to break down such a well drilled unit. La Nazionale will be expected to go a long way in this short competition, but for once, perhaps, the intense scrutiny of the tifosi will be upon performance rather than the result.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Monday, 8 June 2009
Club Focus - Inter season review 2
If Rome wasn't built in a day, then Jose Mourinho's Internazionale certainly won't be built in a season. The foundations have been laid, the plans chartered, the objectives clear, but the construction will take time, patience and understanding.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, we all know what happened during 2008/09. The Scudetto was delivered, the European Cup was not. After four seasons of domestic dominance, all associated with Inter realise the need to be consistently challenging for club football's biggest prize. At the moment, the Nerazzurri are way off the pace, languishing behind the English clubs and Barcelona in terms of the quality and depth of their playing personnel. But to simply state that Inter find themselves unable to compete with these clubs in Europe would be a very short sighted view indeed, so to, would be to argue that a few decent signings and a lick of paint would transform il Biscione to a level ready to compete with Europe's elite. The problem lies much deeper than that, for Inter, and for Calcio as a whole.
Barring Milan's successes in 2003 and 2007, Italian performances in the European Cup have been weak since the turn of the Millennium. Out of 22 finalists since 2000, only four have been Italian, three of which have been courtesy of Milan. Over the same period of time England and Spain boast 12 final appearances between them and six winners. Look at semi-final records and over the same period of time England have produced 15 semi-fianlists, Spain 13 and Italy six. The fact of the matter is that Italy's stronghold as the dominant league in Europe is over, well and truly, graphically illustrated this week when it's prized asset, Kaka, absconded to Real Madrid, devoiding Serie A of one its handful of undoubted world class performers.
Money talks, and it is money which has seen Kaka leave the peninsula. Madrid have it, Milan don't. On a broader extent, the English and Spanish clubs have more cash than the Italians and this financial power has transcended itself on-field. The ability of the Berlusconi's, Agnelli's and Moratti's to buy success has been usurped by that of Abramovich, Mansoor and the Glazers. Football works in cycles, and whereby the chequebooks of wealthy Italian families dominated the 1980’s and 90’s, that mantle has now been passed onto the sheikhs and oligarchs. Italian clubs cannot match the transfer fees and wages commanded by the very best football players in the world, who are now turning their back on Calcio.
To focus purely on the financial constraints of the owners of the Italian clubs would also be wide of the mark. Serie A may have been hampered by the wealth of foreign investors in other leagues, but Serie A itself falls short of what la Liga and the Premier League offer as commodities. The major money being injected into individual leagues come from global TV deals - that product being broadcast around the world - and once again Serie A cannot claim to be as marketable, as sellable, as profitable as la Liga and the Premier League. All of which broadens the revenue gap between the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. It is no wonder the big bucks are being spent outside of Italy.
Come August and any number of exorbitant transfer deals could have been completed. Kaka's has already happened, but so too could Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic amongst others. It is debatable whether Serie A will be the likely or intended destination of any of these players. Already this summer there is a tendency amongst Italian clubs to stick to an almost incestuous inter-trading of domestic products, which is a commendable trait to keep money within the country, but the question must be asked, how do Italy's best intend to catch up with the continents finest? And at present, that question is best directed at four-times reigning champions, Internazionale.
An interesting paradox is immediately raised between the situations of Kaka and Ibrahimovic at their respective clubs, and how those clubs respond accordingly. Inter's immediate desire is to win the European Cup, whereas Milan's primary focus is to rebuild a team to challenge their neighbours for the Scudetto. To achieve their objective the Rossoneri had to sell Kaka, the Nerazzurri do not have to sell Ibra, and it is this factor which will severely test la Benemeata's resolve and ambition this summer, as well as further indicating where the appeal of Italian football lies in comparison to that of England and Spain.
Economics will not solely dictate Ibrahimovic's future as in Kaka's case. Inter do not have to sell, but the intrigue comes in Ibra's motives for a move. The utterances of his agent suggest that Ibra wants to play for a team capable of winning the champions league. Now this could be interpreted as an excuse to leave the San Siro, or it could be perceived as a realisation from the Swede that in the next two or three seasons - the peak of his career - Mourinho's men will not be in a position to sufficiently challenge for that honour. This stance puts the ball firmly in Inter's court, as their intent to succeed in Europe will be paramount to keeping hold of their star striker.
Their initial movements aren't overwhelming. Thiago Motta and Diego Milito have enjoyed fantastic individual seasons at Genoa, demonstrating an ability to perform well in Serie A, but as we've already established, the Nerazzurri's problems do not lie in Serie A, but beyond the countries boundaries, where Motta and Milito's impact will be limited. Of course, these introductions will add depth to the squad, vital over the course of a long campaign, but such players cannot be described as world class, and would not break into the first teams at Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. From this angle, you can sympathise to a degree with Ibrahimovic if he feels his club aren't matching his ambition. There is a great divide between where Inter are, and where they need to be, and only a select band of footballers can significantly contribute to reducing this gulf. Will, or can, the Nerazzurri attract these players?
The conundrum facing President Moratti is how to countenance this gap when economics and desire put particular players out of the reach of Serie A’s top clubs. If Italy falls behind England and Spain as a preferred destination for the elite players, should Moratti's expectations be lowered, or expenditure be increased? For a club the size of Inter, the first option is out of the question, and rightly so, similarly can expenditure be increased any more than what Moratti is likely to reward Mourinho with anyway? Probably not.
The reshaping of the Nerazzurri squad will be based around the replacing of some of their ageing limbs. Luis Figo has retired, Julio Cruz and Hernan Crespo are on their way out, but none of these players have a resale value, in fact not many of the side do apart from one man, Ibrahimovic. All funds for new recruits will be done knowing a huge net loss is in hand, unless Ibra is sold, which begs the question, are Inter holding back Ibra from winning the Champions league, or is he prohibiting them from building a squad to match? The powers that be may decide that one step back can bring two steps forward. Ibra's sensational season was crucial to Inter's defence of their title, his showings regularly inspiring his side to earn vital points, but one suspects the Interisti - sections of whom took to jeering the Swedish striker during a recent league match - wouldn't be totally opposed to his sale should it improve the side overall.
The Special One recently said his side still need a centre-forward, a central midfielder and a centre-back. Last week Portuguese schemer Deco stated he was in talks to reunite with his former mentor from Porto, and a move for another ex-Porto man, Ricardo Carvalho, has also been muted. Deco could provide that creative spark often lacking from il Biscione's play last season, whilst Carvalho will improve the defence. However, both transfers, although far from certain, would follow the trend set by the Motta and Milito deals. Would they improve Inter's chances in the Champions League? Both players played peripheral roles in Chelsea's season, and would be allowed to leave the English club unobstructed. Do Inter need to resort to acquiring players who aren't deemed to be needed by teams they are trying to catch? And how much impact would two players over 30 have past next season?
Mourinho does not give the impression he is the coach ever to be involved for the long haul, and certainly his transfer dealings this summer will give an indication whether his plans are short, medium or long term. The ages of his confirmed and rumoured signings suggest he is after players for a quick fix. If that is at his behest, or President Moratti’s, who knows? The Portugese tactician was challenged to bring home the European Cup for the first time since 1965, but have his taskmasters armed him well enough to launch the assault? Still standing highest on Mourinho’s long list of managerial achievements is the 2004 European Cup success with Porto, which he achieved with an average group of players. If you care to remember that season’s competition, Porto only got past Manchester United thanks to a linesman’s flag, Milan self-destructed in the quarters to Deportivo la Coruna, and Chelsea imploded in the semi’s against Monaco. Credit to Mourinho’s Porto for not succumbing to these pitfalls, but the outlook could have been much different. Recent victors Barcelona and Manchester United have both been recognised as the best side, with the best players in that year’s tournament, prior to winning it. Porto’s feat should be seen as an anomaly, and not as a managerial master-class guaranteed to bring success.
It will be interesting to see how much President Moratti backs Mourinho this summer. Come August 31st and the end of the transfer window, someone, somewhere will produce a table of how much money each club has spent. Where will Inter lie in this table? And how will they compare to their European peers? Mourinho may claim to be special, but he’s not claimed to be able to make wine from water…yet.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, we all know what happened during 2008/09. The Scudetto was delivered, the European Cup was not. After four seasons of domestic dominance, all associated with Inter realise the need to be consistently challenging for club football's biggest prize. At the moment, the Nerazzurri are way off the pace, languishing behind the English clubs and Barcelona in terms of the quality and depth of their playing personnel. But to simply state that Inter find themselves unable to compete with these clubs in Europe would be a very short sighted view indeed, so to, would be to argue that a few decent signings and a lick of paint would transform il Biscione to a level ready to compete with Europe's elite. The problem lies much deeper than that, for Inter, and for Calcio as a whole.
Barring Milan's successes in 2003 and 2007, Italian performances in the European Cup have been weak since the turn of the Millennium. Out of 22 finalists since 2000, only four have been Italian, three of which have been courtesy of Milan. Over the same period of time England and Spain boast 12 final appearances between them and six winners. Look at semi-final records and over the same period of time England have produced 15 semi-fianlists, Spain 13 and Italy six. The fact of the matter is that Italy's stronghold as the dominant league in Europe is over, well and truly, graphically illustrated this week when it's prized asset, Kaka, absconded to Real Madrid, devoiding Serie A of one its handful of undoubted world class performers.
Money talks, and it is money which has seen Kaka leave the peninsula. Madrid have it, Milan don't. On a broader extent, the English and Spanish clubs have more cash than the Italians and this financial power has transcended itself on-field. The ability of the Berlusconi's, Agnelli's and Moratti's to buy success has been usurped by that of Abramovich, Mansoor and the Glazers. Football works in cycles, and whereby the chequebooks of wealthy Italian families dominated the 1980’s and 90’s, that mantle has now been passed onto the sheikhs and oligarchs. Italian clubs cannot match the transfer fees and wages commanded by the very best football players in the world, who are now turning their back on Calcio.
To focus purely on the financial constraints of the owners of the Italian clubs would also be wide of the mark. Serie A may have been hampered by the wealth of foreign investors in other leagues, but Serie A itself falls short of what la Liga and the Premier League offer as commodities. The major money being injected into individual leagues come from global TV deals - that product being broadcast around the world - and once again Serie A cannot claim to be as marketable, as sellable, as profitable as la Liga and the Premier League. All of which broadens the revenue gap between the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. It is no wonder the big bucks are being spent outside of Italy.
Come August and any number of exorbitant transfer deals could have been completed. Kaka's has already happened, but so too could Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic amongst others. It is debatable whether Serie A will be the likely or intended destination of any of these players. Already this summer there is a tendency amongst Italian clubs to stick to an almost incestuous inter-trading of domestic products, which is a commendable trait to keep money within the country, but the question must be asked, how do Italy's best intend to catch up with the continents finest? And at present, that question is best directed at four-times reigning champions, Internazionale.
An interesting paradox is immediately raised between the situations of Kaka and Ibrahimovic at their respective clubs, and how those clubs respond accordingly. Inter's immediate desire is to win the European Cup, whereas Milan's primary focus is to rebuild a team to challenge their neighbours for the Scudetto. To achieve their objective the Rossoneri had to sell Kaka, the Nerazzurri do not have to sell Ibra, and it is this factor which will severely test la Benemeata's resolve and ambition this summer, as well as further indicating where the appeal of Italian football lies in comparison to that of England and Spain.
Economics will not solely dictate Ibrahimovic's future as in Kaka's case. Inter do not have to sell, but the intrigue comes in Ibra's motives for a move. The utterances of his agent suggest that Ibra wants to play for a team capable of winning the champions league. Now this could be interpreted as an excuse to leave the San Siro, or it could be perceived as a realisation from the Swede that in the next two or three seasons - the peak of his career - Mourinho's men will not be in a position to sufficiently challenge for that honour. This stance puts the ball firmly in Inter's court, as their intent to succeed in Europe will be paramount to keeping hold of their star striker.
Their initial movements aren't overwhelming. Thiago Motta and Diego Milito have enjoyed fantastic individual seasons at Genoa, demonstrating an ability to perform well in Serie A, but as we've already established, the Nerazzurri's problems do not lie in Serie A, but beyond the countries boundaries, where Motta and Milito's impact will be limited. Of course, these introductions will add depth to the squad, vital over the course of a long campaign, but such players cannot be described as world class, and would not break into the first teams at Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. From this angle, you can sympathise to a degree with Ibrahimovic if he feels his club aren't matching his ambition. There is a great divide between where Inter are, and where they need to be, and only a select band of footballers can significantly contribute to reducing this gulf. Will, or can, the Nerazzurri attract these players?
The conundrum facing President Moratti is how to countenance this gap when economics and desire put particular players out of the reach of Serie A’s top clubs. If Italy falls behind England and Spain as a preferred destination for the elite players, should Moratti's expectations be lowered, or expenditure be increased? For a club the size of Inter, the first option is out of the question, and rightly so, similarly can expenditure be increased any more than what Moratti is likely to reward Mourinho with anyway? Probably not.
The reshaping of the Nerazzurri squad will be based around the replacing of some of their ageing limbs. Luis Figo has retired, Julio Cruz and Hernan Crespo are on their way out, but none of these players have a resale value, in fact not many of the side do apart from one man, Ibrahimovic. All funds for new recruits will be done knowing a huge net loss is in hand, unless Ibra is sold, which begs the question, are Inter holding back Ibra from winning the Champions league, or is he prohibiting them from building a squad to match? The powers that be may decide that one step back can bring two steps forward. Ibra's sensational season was crucial to Inter's defence of their title, his showings regularly inspiring his side to earn vital points, but one suspects the Interisti - sections of whom took to jeering the Swedish striker during a recent league match - wouldn't be totally opposed to his sale should it improve the side overall.
The Special One recently said his side still need a centre-forward, a central midfielder and a centre-back. Last week Portuguese schemer Deco stated he was in talks to reunite with his former mentor from Porto, and a move for another ex-Porto man, Ricardo Carvalho, has also been muted. Deco could provide that creative spark often lacking from il Biscione's play last season, whilst Carvalho will improve the defence. However, both transfers, although far from certain, would follow the trend set by the Motta and Milito deals. Would they improve Inter's chances in the Champions League? Both players played peripheral roles in Chelsea's season, and would be allowed to leave the English club unobstructed. Do Inter need to resort to acquiring players who aren't deemed to be needed by teams they are trying to catch? And how much impact would two players over 30 have past next season?
Mourinho does not give the impression he is the coach ever to be involved for the long haul, and certainly his transfer dealings this summer will give an indication whether his plans are short, medium or long term. The ages of his confirmed and rumoured signings suggest he is after players for a quick fix. If that is at his behest, or President Moratti’s, who knows? The Portugese tactician was challenged to bring home the European Cup for the first time since 1965, but have his taskmasters armed him well enough to launch the assault? Still standing highest on Mourinho’s long list of managerial achievements is the 2004 European Cup success with Porto, which he achieved with an average group of players. If you care to remember that season’s competition, Porto only got past Manchester United thanks to a linesman’s flag, Milan self-destructed in the quarters to Deportivo la Coruna, and Chelsea imploded in the semi’s against Monaco. Credit to Mourinho’s Porto for not succumbing to these pitfalls, but the outlook could have been much different. Recent victors Barcelona and Manchester United have both been recognised as the best side, with the best players in that year’s tournament, prior to winning it. Porto’s feat should be seen as an anomaly, and not as a managerial master-class guaranteed to bring success.
It will be interesting to see how much President Moratti backs Mourinho this summer. Come August 31st and the end of the transfer window, someone, somewhere will produce a table of how much money each club has spent. Where will Inter lie in this table? And how will they compare to their European peers? Mourinho may claim to be special, but he’s not claimed to be able to make wine from water…yet.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Domestic bliss cannot hide Euro heartache
Internazionale wound up another Scudetto winning season last weekend with a highly entertaining seven-goal game against Atalanta. In one of those end of year games which resemble a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition match, chances and entertainment were plentiful, and a 4-3 victory for the Nerazzurri - with two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic landing him the Capocannoniere - was a rich reward for the Interisti who have supported their side through another successful season.
But as the final whistle sounded and the players embarked on a lap of honour and yet more extended Scudetto celebrations, how successful a season would the Interisti have claimed this to be? And if success cannot necessarily be quantified, how satisfied would they have been? Rewind twelve months to a warm spring afternoon at the Ennio Tardini. A brace of goals from Ibrahimovic fired Inter to a 2-0 win over Parma, securing a sixteenth league title, holding off a valiant Roma side who had pursued them all the way to the final game of the season. It was il Biscione's third Scudetto in a row - the first awarded to them after the Calciopoli scandal - all won under the stewardship of Roberto Mancini, yet it was widely known that Mancini would be on his way out of the club, largely by mutual consent, and largely down to their failings in the Champions League. For President Moratti and the fans, domestic success was not enough, and the shortcomings of their European exploits could be no longer tolerated.
The individual required to step into Mancini's breach was obvious. Unemployed and refreshed after a nine-month lay-off following his departure from Chelsea, Jose Mourinho ticked all the boxes of what was needed to manage a club of Inter's size, reputation and expectations. A proven track record of domestic success allied with a Champions League winners medal from his stint at Porto meant that Mourinho was the outstanding candidate for the job. Mourinho was made the highest paid manager in the world, accepting an annual salary of £7m, and with it, accepting responsibility to deliver il Biscione's first European Cup since Helenio Herrera's side lifted the trophy in 1965. But the European Cup never arrived, and in truth never looked likely to arrive, so with Mourinho's first season concluded, we are left to reflect on another season of domestic dominance, tarnished by the now familiar tale of European despair.
Mourinho inherited what was widely accepted as the strongest squad of players in Serie A. The nucleus of the team of - Julio Cesar, Ivan Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Dejan Stankovic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - had been in place for the past couple of years, and underpinned the title wins of the previous three seasons. To this, Mourinho attempted to inject some much needed pace and width into what was essentially a one-paced and one-dimensional forward unit. Ricardo Quaresma, Amantino Mancini and Sulley Muntari were recruited to do the job, and Mourinho's first piece of silverware wasn't far away, his new chargers defeating Roma on penalties in the Supercoppa.
More pressing matters lay ahead, and with absolute minimum expectations of retaining the Scudetto, the league campaign kicked off with a tricky trip to the Stadio Ferraris to face Sampdoria. With what was to prove a sign of things to come, it was the talismatic Ibrahimovic who got la Benemeata up and running with their first goal of the season to give them the lead, but a second half equaliser from Gennaro Delvecchio meant Mourinho's men had to settle for a point from their opening outing. Week two's fixtures brought Catania to the San Siro for Mourinho's managerial debut on home turf, where a deflected Quaresma strike and a dubious own-goal saw Inter collect their first three points with a lacklustre performance. Inter rose from their slumber with an impressive 2-0 win away to Panathinaikos to start their Champions League campaign, and followed this up with another convincing win, this time a 3-1 defeat of Torino at the Olimpico.
The shape of the team was slowly being formed in these opening games, with Mourinho settling on his favoured 4-3-3 with Ibrahimovic as the front-man, being flanked either side by any combination of Adriano, Mancini, Luis Figo or Quaresma. It was this attacking trident which proved so successful for the Portugese tactician whilst at Chelsea, but as the season wore on, injuries to Mancini and a dip in form and attitude from Adriano and Quaresma curtailed the operation, leaving the Special One needing to explore other alternatives and off-sets of the formula which he so trusted.
After the relative highs of strong away performances in Greece and Turin, the San Siro faithful had to endure another turgid display as Julio Cruz's late goal proved decisive against a dogged Lecce. Then, defeat. Again the San Siro was proving to be far from home sweet home as city rivals Milan inflicted the first reverse of Mourinho's reign, albeit technically an away fixture. Ronaldinho's headed goal sealing the Derby della Madonnina. The first home Champions League game against Werder Bremen didn't alter Inter's home fortunes, Maicon scoring in a 1-1 draw, but the next fixture finally sparked some home joy, as Ibrahimovic scored arguably the goal of the season, somehow managing to wrap his leg around his marker, whilst facing away from goal to back-heal Adriano's cross into the roof of the net. It was a typical piece of ingenuity from the Swedish striker, his audacity and invention so often proving to be the creative gene of a team of foot-soldiers, geared up to grind out results.
There was no grinding to be done in week 7 as Inter completely dismantled last years runners-up Roma, turning them over 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico - probably their best game of the season - to open up a two point gap at the top of the table. The inconsistencies then returned with a stuttering one goal victory of Cypriot minnows Anorthosis in the Champions League, which proceeded goalless draws at home to Genoa - who had lost all previous away games - and away to Fiorentina. The points continued to accumulate but not in wholly conventional circumstances. Stoppage time goals turned draws to wins in the next two league games against Reggina and Udinese. An excursion to Palermo was undertaken on the back of extended criticism from the Italian media as to the level of performance by the Nerazzurri, many critics unsatisfied with the stuttering, uncohesive nature of the displays. Once again it was Ibrahimovic who came to the fore with two more fantastic strikes to inspire his team and maintain their position at the top of the table. Mourinho's problems were exasperated by Adriano, frozen out of the first team for tardy time-keeping at training, and Quaresma, who found himself out of the team after a series of infuriating matches.
A pivotal game against Juventus was won by a Sulley Muntari goal, but halted a run of seven successive victories by the Bianconeri, taking some of the impetus from Juve's charge and reasserting the Nerazzurri's grip on first place. However the jubilation of Derby d'Italia was short lived, as Panathinaikos won 1-0 at the Giuseppe Meazza in what was becoming an increasingly patchy Champions League campaign, where a win away to Bremen in the last group game was needed to secure qualification to the knockout stages, and a tie with reigning champions Manchester United.
Domestically things were on the up and four more wins after the Juve game meant Inter had chalked up eight victories in a row prior to the mid-season break to leave them with a commanding six point lead for the resumption. Upon returning il Biscione started sluggishly with a draw to Cagliari and a 3-1 defeat by Atalanta - only their second reverse of the season - before embarking on another run of six wins from seven games, which vitally included revenge in the Milan derby thanks to Adriano's handled goal, which opened up a huge nine point lead ahead of their city rivals at the top of Serie A.
It was this run immediately before and after the New Year, which secured the title for the Nerazzurri. Although the form could hardly be described as exhilarating, the results continued to come in, something that wasn't happening at Milan and Juve who regularly dropped points, hamstringing themselves in catching the champions. With a healthy lead at the top of the table, la Benemeata were able to focus all of their attentions on the quest for European glory, although a formidable challenge lay ahead in the shape of Manchester United. Inter's indifferent qualification from their group saw them finish second, and thus were drawn against a group winner, Manchester United. Had Inter won what was a very winnable group, they would have avoided the group winners and theoretically been handed a simpler draw, but it was not to be and Mourinho was given the chance to reacquaint with old foe Sir Alex Ferguson.
Over the two legs Inter were comprehensively beaten. Lucky not to be put out of the tie in the first leg at home, they eventually went down to two unanswered goals at Old Trafford, and although chances were missed in Manchester, even the most ardent Interisti could not deny their side were well beaten, with European hopes extinguished for another year. It is perhaps this loss which most reflects badly upon Mourinho's first year in charge at the club. The Scudetto was expected and both Juve, Milan and any other perspective title rivals failed to mount a sustained assault in Serie A. However, the gulf between a side who once again contested the European Cup final, and one who intends to, was plain to see, both in terms of personnel and as a unit. It was this game which put into context the gap Inter must somehow shorten if they are to have any realistic chance of competing for the continents top prize. The European Cup may only be a year away in theory, but it looked years away in practice.
In between the Manchester United games, Inter's Coppa Italia bid was ended when they crumbled 3-0 away at Sampdoria in the first leg of the semi finals, a score that they could not overturn in the return leg. Out of both cup competitions, it was left to clinch the league title, which they did with some ease, compiling a 14-point lead at one point, losing only once more before the end of the season away to Napoli when the championship was a formality. A late upsurge from Milan was fruitless, and indeed it was their great enemy who handed the Nerazzurri their 17th Scudetto - equalling the Rossoneri haul - by failing to beat Udinese on May 16th. That result was indicative of the seasons both Milan and Juve had, both ending with a points total of 74, way behind the asking rate to win any of Europe's major leagues. Their downfall was of no concern to Inter, who were the strongest, most consistent and effective team in the competition. Yet, question marks still remain about how good this team actually are, and whether Mourinho has improved the side from Mancini's days.
This Inter side carried all the hallmarks of a Jose Mourinho production. A strong goalkeeper, an organised back-four, a workaholic midfield and a lone striker. As in his Chelsea days his creations are rarely a thing of beauty, but have an infectious ability to accumulate points, a feat which proved too much for any of their competitors. Mourinho could point to a few mitigating circumstances for the perceived lack of style and progress. The squad he took over contained too many players either in, or approaching the twilight of their careers - a fact brutally exposed by Manchester United. His plans were also interrupted by Messrs Adriano and Quaresma, who's lack of form and subsequent departures left him shorn of genuine attacking talent, and as such a large emphasis, probably too large, was placed upon Ibrahimovic who led the line impeccably, scoring 25 Serie A goals, and performing consistently brilliant almost all season. There are also suggestions that Inter never had to really perform at their peak, as the challenge from other teams didn't seriously threaten their lock on top spot.
Credit should also go to Mourinho for his man management of his players. He is renowned for getting the best results from the players at his disposal, and certainly Julio Cesar, Maicon, Cordoba, Cambiasso, Stankovic and Zanetti deserve honourable mentions for their parts in securing the title. Another positive was the emergence of Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon, both prospering from the faith their manager showed by allowing them prolonged runs in the starting line-up.
So, when all's said and done, the pro's equalling out the con's, the positives cancelling out the negatives, Inter are more or less in the same position they found themselves last season. It is hard to argue that significant progress has been made, or that Inter could be regarded as any better than twelve months previously. A revamp of the squad this summer is likely, with anything up to half a dozen or more players saying ‘arrivederci’ to the San Siro. Certainly the average age of the squad needs reducing, and a natural evolution should take place with Luis Figo retiring and Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz and Patrick Vieira all likely to move on. In return the signing of Diego Milito and Thiago Motta have already been announced, but once again Milito will be 30 come the start of the season, and Motta 27. Not necessarily the signings if you are looking to create a dynasty over the next five or six seasons.
In reality, Mourinho isn't the type of manager who you could see spending any sustained period of time at one club. Outspoken, abrasive and full of ambition, his tenure's will be short and trophy laden, rather than long and lasting. Rumours persist about the signings of players such as Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba, players all on the wrong side of thirty, but tailor made to have an immediate impact at home and in Europe. You suspect that an immediate impact of sorts will be needed next season, firstly in terms with the fluency and style with which the team operate, but certainly with their attempts at conquering Europe.
All associated with the Nerazzurri recognise the need to impose themselves as one of the strongest teams on the continent, domestic success is not enough, Mourinho knows it, and Mourinho needs to rectify it.
But as the final whistle sounded and the players embarked on a lap of honour and yet more extended Scudetto celebrations, how successful a season would the Interisti have claimed this to be? And if success cannot necessarily be quantified, how satisfied would they have been? Rewind twelve months to a warm spring afternoon at the Ennio Tardini. A brace of goals from Ibrahimovic fired Inter to a 2-0 win over Parma, securing a sixteenth league title, holding off a valiant Roma side who had pursued them all the way to the final game of the season. It was il Biscione's third Scudetto in a row - the first awarded to them after the Calciopoli scandal - all won under the stewardship of Roberto Mancini, yet it was widely known that Mancini would be on his way out of the club, largely by mutual consent, and largely down to their failings in the Champions League. For President Moratti and the fans, domestic success was not enough, and the shortcomings of their European exploits could be no longer tolerated.
The individual required to step into Mancini's breach was obvious. Unemployed and refreshed after a nine-month lay-off following his departure from Chelsea, Jose Mourinho ticked all the boxes of what was needed to manage a club of Inter's size, reputation and expectations. A proven track record of domestic success allied with a Champions League winners medal from his stint at Porto meant that Mourinho was the outstanding candidate for the job. Mourinho was made the highest paid manager in the world, accepting an annual salary of £7m, and with it, accepting responsibility to deliver il Biscione's first European Cup since Helenio Herrera's side lifted the trophy in 1965. But the European Cup never arrived, and in truth never looked likely to arrive, so with Mourinho's first season concluded, we are left to reflect on another season of domestic dominance, tarnished by the now familiar tale of European despair.
Mourinho inherited what was widely accepted as the strongest squad of players in Serie A. The nucleus of the team of - Julio Cesar, Ivan Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Dejan Stankovic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - had been in place for the past couple of years, and underpinned the title wins of the previous three seasons. To this, Mourinho attempted to inject some much needed pace and width into what was essentially a one-paced and one-dimensional forward unit. Ricardo Quaresma, Amantino Mancini and Sulley Muntari were recruited to do the job, and Mourinho's first piece of silverware wasn't far away, his new chargers defeating Roma on penalties in the Supercoppa.
More pressing matters lay ahead, and with absolute minimum expectations of retaining the Scudetto, the league campaign kicked off with a tricky trip to the Stadio Ferraris to face Sampdoria. With what was to prove a sign of things to come, it was the talismatic Ibrahimovic who got la Benemeata up and running with their first goal of the season to give them the lead, but a second half equaliser from Gennaro Delvecchio meant Mourinho's men had to settle for a point from their opening outing. Week two's fixtures brought Catania to the San Siro for Mourinho's managerial debut on home turf, where a deflected Quaresma strike and a dubious own-goal saw Inter collect their first three points with a lacklustre performance. Inter rose from their slumber with an impressive 2-0 win away to Panathinaikos to start their Champions League campaign, and followed this up with another convincing win, this time a 3-1 defeat of Torino at the Olimpico.
The shape of the team was slowly being formed in these opening games, with Mourinho settling on his favoured 4-3-3 with Ibrahimovic as the front-man, being flanked either side by any combination of Adriano, Mancini, Luis Figo or Quaresma. It was this attacking trident which proved so successful for the Portugese tactician whilst at Chelsea, but as the season wore on, injuries to Mancini and a dip in form and attitude from Adriano and Quaresma curtailed the operation, leaving the Special One needing to explore other alternatives and off-sets of the formula which he so trusted.
After the relative highs of strong away performances in Greece and Turin, the San Siro faithful had to endure another turgid display as Julio Cruz's late goal proved decisive against a dogged Lecce. Then, defeat. Again the San Siro was proving to be far from home sweet home as city rivals Milan inflicted the first reverse of Mourinho's reign, albeit technically an away fixture. Ronaldinho's headed goal sealing the Derby della Madonnina. The first home Champions League game against Werder Bremen didn't alter Inter's home fortunes, Maicon scoring in a 1-1 draw, but the next fixture finally sparked some home joy, as Ibrahimovic scored arguably the goal of the season, somehow managing to wrap his leg around his marker, whilst facing away from goal to back-heal Adriano's cross into the roof of the net. It was a typical piece of ingenuity from the Swedish striker, his audacity and invention so often proving to be the creative gene of a team of foot-soldiers, geared up to grind out results.
There was no grinding to be done in week 7 as Inter completely dismantled last years runners-up Roma, turning them over 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico - probably their best game of the season - to open up a two point gap at the top of the table. The inconsistencies then returned with a stuttering one goal victory of Cypriot minnows Anorthosis in the Champions League, which proceeded goalless draws at home to Genoa - who had lost all previous away games - and away to Fiorentina. The points continued to accumulate but not in wholly conventional circumstances. Stoppage time goals turned draws to wins in the next two league games against Reggina and Udinese. An excursion to Palermo was undertaken on the back of extended criticism from the Italian media as to the level of performance by the Nerazzurri, many critics unsatisfied with the stuttering, uncohesive nature of the displays. Once again it was Ibrahimovic who came to the fore with two more fantastic strikes to inspire his team and maintain their position at the top of the table. Mourinho's problems were exasperated by Adriano, frozen out of the first team for tardy time-keeping at training, and Quaresma, who found himself out of the team after a series of infuriating matches.
A pivotal game against Juventus was won by a Sulley Muntari goal, but halted a run of seven successive victories by the Bianconeri, taking some of the impetus from Juve's charge and reasserting the Nerazzurri's grip on first place. However the jubilation of Derby d'Italia was short lived, as Panathinaikos won 1-0 at the Giuseppe Meazza in what was becoming an increasingly patchy Champions League campaign, where a win away to Bremen in the last group game was needed to secure qualification to the knockout stages, and a tie with reigning champions Manchester United.
Domestically things were on the up and four more wins after the Juve game meant Inter had chalked up eight victories in a row prior to the mid-season break to leave them with a commanding six point lead for the resumption. Upon returning il Biscione started sluggishly with a draw to Cagliari and a 3-1 defeat by Atalanta - only their second reverse of the season - before embarking on another run of six wins from seven games, which vitally included revenge in the Milan derby thanks to Adriano's handled goal, which opened up a huge nine point lead ahead of their city rivals at the top of Serie A.
It was this run immediately before and after the New Year, which secured the title for the Nerazzurri. Although the form could hardly be described as exhilarating, the results continued to come in, something that wasn't happening at Milan and Juve who regularly dropped points, hamstringing themselves in catching the champions. With a healthy lead at the top of the table, la Benemeata were able to focus all of their attentions on the quest for European glory, although a formidable challenge lay ahead in the shape of Manchester United. Inter's indifferent qualification from their group saw them finish second, and thus were drawn against a group winner, Manchester United. Had Inter won what was a very winnable group, they would have avoided the group winners and theoretically been handed a simpler draw, but it was not to be and Mourinho was given the chance to reacquaint with old foe Sir Alex Ferguson.
Over the two legs Inter were comprehensively beaten. Lucky not to be put out of the tie in the first leg at home, they eventually went down to two unanswered goals at Old Trafford, and although chances were missed in Manchester, even the most ardent Interisti could not deny their side were well beaten, with European hopes extinguished for another year. It is perhaps this loss which most reflects badly upon Mourinho's first year in charge at the club. The Scudetto was expected and both Juve, Milan and any other perspective title rivals failed to mount a sustained assault in Serie A. However, the gulf between a side who once again contested the European Cup final, and one who intends to, was plain to see, both in terms of personnel and as a unit. It was this game which put into context the gap Inter must somehow shorten if they are to have any realistic chance of competing for the continents top prize. The European Cup may only be a year away in theory, but it looked years away in practice.
In between the Manchester United games, Inter's Coppa Italia bid was ended when they crumbled 3-0 away at Sampdoria in the first leg of the semi finals, a score that they could not overturn in the return leg. Out of both cup competitions, it was left to clinch the league title, which they did with some ease, compiling a 14-point lead at one point, losing only once more before the end of the season away to Napoli when the championship was a formality. A late upsurge from Milan was fruitless, and indeed it was their great enemy who handed the Nerazzurri their 17th Scudetto - equalling the Rossoneri haul - by failing to beat Udinese on May 16th. That result was indicative of the seasons both Milan and Juve had, both ending with a points total of 74, way behind the asking rate to win any of Europe's major leagues. Their downfall was of no concern to Inter, who were the strongest, most consistent and effective team in the competition. Yet, question marks still remain about how good this team actually are, and whether Mourinho has improved the side from Mancini's days.
This Inter side carried all the hallmarks of a Jose Mourinho production. A strong goalkeeper, an organised back-four, a workaholic midfield and a lone striker. As in his Chelsea days his creations are rarely a thing of beauty, but have an infectious ability to accumulate points, a feat which proved too much for any of their competitors. Mourinho could point to a few mitigating circumstances for the perceived lack of style and progress. The squad he took over contained too many players either in, or approaching the twilight of their careers - a fact brutally exposed by Manchester United. His plans were also interrupted by Messrs Adriano and Quaresma, who's lack of form and subsequent departures left him shorn of genuine attacking talent, and as such a large emphasis, probably too large, was placed upon Ibrahimovic who led the line impeccably, scoring 25 Serie A goals, and performing consistently brilliant almost all season. There are also suggestions that Inter never had to really perform at their peak, as the challenge from other teams didn't seriously threaten their lock on top spot.
Credit should also go to Mourinho for his man management of his players. He is renowned for getting the best results from the players at his disposal, and certainly Julio Cesar, Maicon, Cordoba, Cambiasso, Stankovic and Zanetti deserve honourable mentions for their parts in securing the title. Another positive was the emergence of Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon, both prospering from the faith their manager showed by allowing them prolonged runs in the starting line-up.
So, when all's said and done, the pro's equalling out the con's, the positives cancelling out the negatives, Inter are more or less in the same position they found themselves last season. It is hard to argue that significant progress has been made, or that Inter could be regarded as any better than twelve months previously. A revamp of the squad this summer is likely, with anything up to half a dozen or more players saying ‘arrivederci’ to the San Siro. Certainly the average age of the squad needs reducing, and a natural evolution should take place with Luis Figo retiring and Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz and Patrick Vieira all likely to move on. In return the signing of Diego Milito and Thiago Motta have already been announced, but once again Milito will be 30 come the start of the season, and Motta 27. Not necessarily the signings if you are looking to create a dynasty over the next five or six seasons.
In reality, Mourinho isn't the type of manager who you could see spending any sustained period of time at one club. Outspoken, abrasive and full of ambition, his tenure's will be short and trophy laden, rather than long and lasting. Rumours persist about the signings of players such as Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba, players all on the wrong side of thirty, but tailor made to have an immediate impact at home and in Europe. You suspect that an immediate impact of sorts will be needed next season, firstly in terms with the fluency and style with which the team operate, but certainly with their attempts at conquering Europe.
All associated with the Nerazzurri recognise the need to impose themselves as one of the strongest teams on the continent, domestic success is not enough, Mourinho knows it, and Mourinho needs to rectify it.
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