Today, I will write in the first person, but just for a moment. This is because it means a lot to me to be able to say, Grazie Inter. Back in 1988, it was perhaps odd for a young English boy to support Inter simply because his father brought him a shirt back from Milan.
Watching Inter on BskyB back then was mesmerising, the journey has brought so many gifts but also so much suffering, however, as Inter claim their 19th title, I can genuinely say I have not seen them in a better place. What the entire Nerazzurri team have done is a credit to the whole project.
Today, I will write in the first person, but just for a moment. This is because it means a lot to me to be able to say, Grazie Inter. Back in 1988, it was perhaps odd for a young English boy to support Inter simply because his father brought him a shirt back from Milan.
Watching Inter on BskyB back then was mesmerising, the journey has brought so many gifts but also so much suffering, however, as Inter claim their 19th title, I can genuinely say I have not seen them in a better place. What the entire Nerazzurri team have done is a credit to the whole project.
When briefly touching on the Trapattoni years, I have to say that, whilst they were special to me, Inter’s Scudetto win was in the middle of a Neapolitan, Milanese sandwich. Two unbelievable sides would be glorified, and rightly so, whilst Inter and Sampdoria have to put up cult status.
That Milan side was possibly the best in history and in today’s world, being team ‘three German’ makes you a hipster whilst being team ‘three Dutch’ makes you sensible.
The next time Inter won a Scudetto, I was on the Curva Nord. Things looked promising and were good, albeit one cannot get away from Juventus’s absence. The years that followed were good harvest years and the grapes were ripe for Inter.
This culminated in the famous treble of 2010, but clouds were on the horizon even then. I remember writing an article just after that win in Madrid, the title was ‘Inter’s Treble signals the end of an era not a beginning’, unusually for once, I was right.
Let us go back to being out of the first person. The net rippled as Christian Eriksen’s shot caressed it, and Inter not only all but claimed their 19th Scudetto but also reignited Serse Cosmi’s DJ’ing career.
It was a seismic moment as it ended over a decade of hurt. The Nerazzurri had done what Antonio Conte has said they would do if they only listened. The domestic serial winner has, with Beppe Marotta, used a blueprint and won the Scudetto. Was it glorious? Yes, was it beautiful? At times. Overall, it was it pragmatic, and it worked.
You cannot celebrate Inter’s title win without paying homage to Juventus. ‘The Old Lady’ has been so enigmatic, so dominant, so unbelievably consistent, that nobody can look back over the last decade and not be in awe of the achievement. This is in part, is why Inter’s triumph is so great. Let us be clear, like a Formula 1 side, Inter looked at the faster car, copied it and this year had a better driver. The Bianconeri will be back, that is for sure, but this time Inter will be ready.
This is all based on the fact that Suning manage to get investment to make sure that this project continues. If they do, then Italy will be treated to a prolonged battle between Inter and Juventus for potentially many years to come. This is why this title win is more important than the others in many ways.
This marks the beginning of a chapter. It rubber stamps the ambitions of a large project. What Conte, Marotta and Suning have set out to do has finally seen a glimmer of success and that is the point? It is only a glimmer.
Inter have much larger aspirations and this squad can achieve more. It could have come earlier in the Europa League Final but arguably, failure fuelled this campaign’s grit and determination. Some players will leave but the Nerazzurri now have faith in the recruitment strategy, faith in the coach, faith in the squad and trust in the owners.
Like Juventus so many years ago, this title does not feel like it is a medal after a marathon. No, it feels like it is the first taste of something that Inter want more of. It feels like this is the beginning of an era.
There are no guarantees, but Conte will know that, his character is embedded in this squad. There is no Pazza now. This is a team that all the Nerazzurri can be proud of and be hopeful for. Longevity is not often a word used when talking of Inter, but it is now and that is why all fans should say Grazie Inter.
@RichHall80