how the nerazzurri have regained the heights by betting on an Italian fibre

In 2010 Inter won the Champions League final against Bayern Munich (2-0). In the Inter eleven: three Brazilians, four Argentines but no Italians. A negotiation that has changed a lot since the starting transalpines were five in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Milan (2-0), whose return is scheduled for Tuesday 16 May, at the Giuseppe-Meazza stadium. stadium.

Having arrived in December 2018 as president of the Nerrazzuri after eight years as executive director of Juventus, the Lombard manager Giuseppe Marotta has set a new trend at the club. “The idea was to follow the same policy as the Turinese and their all-Italian defense with Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Gianluigi Buffon, without forgetting Andrea Pirlo,” explains Paolo Tomaselli, an Italian journalist from Corriere della Sera.

A new Italian fiber

“Relying on more Italian players was a desire clearly expressed by the president Giuseppe Marottacontinues Paolo Tomaselli. You have always said that Italians have a strong identity. According to him, they know the importance of the shirt, become aware of what this legendary stadium represents and can better teach these codes to foreign players.”

While Inter were accustomed to relying on only three to six Italian players since 2007, except considering themselves exceptional, – for an average of 20% of their mobilized workforce (at least five games played) -, the arrival of “Beppe” Marotta he has been heard since the first summer transfer window in 2019. Under the impetus of a newly appointed Antonio Conte on the bench, several young shooters from La Botte have been recruited, such as midfielder Nicolò Barella.

Despite a training center that is far from being as efficient as on our side across the Alps – according to CIES data, Inter is in 39th place for number of trained players, active among the five major leagues (13) -, a few nuggets like Federico’s team Dimarco was also integrated into the professional group.

For the best. With a blue backbone, the Interisti won the Scudetto in 2021, ending nine years of Piedmontese hegemony. Before exiting the C1 groups last year for the first time since 2012, and then finally reaching the semi-finals of the event in 2023, thanks in particular to two goals from Nicolo Barella in the quarterfinals against Benfica, but above all to five assists from Federico Dimarco on the edition. The last, for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, on doubling against rivals Milan.

The break with the Inter tradition

With now eight Italians regularly used this season by Simone Inzaghi, the current third in Serie A has, in a sense, broken with the club’s original tradition. Founded in 1908, FC Internazionale takes its name from the reasons that led its founders to separate from the Milan Cricket and Football Club, now AC Milan.

At the time, the Italian federation wanted to ban the presence of foreign players in their league, thus forcing the Rossoneri to comply with the rule when the club had just been created by an English expatriate. Enough to kick off the beginning of a fratricidal rivalry that points out from the Lombard capital and of which a new chapter will have to be written on Tuesday.