Simone Inzaghi's time likely up at Inter: Why going all in on the Champions League was his biggest mistake

The Nerazzurri are probably set to part ways with the Italian manager in the coming days after the 5-0 defeat against PSG

After losing the Serie A campaign to Napoli, only a Champions League win could have saved the Nerazzurri's year. Not only did that not happen, but how Inter lost made it even worse. It's likely, if not certain, that Inter's 5-0 defeat in the UEFA Champions League final against PSG was the last game of Italian manager Simone Inzaghi in charge of the Italian giants. If the rumors were in the air before the Munich final, it's now increasingly likely both the team and the Italian manager will go in different directions after losing the European trophy in the worst way possible, conceding five goals to Luis Enrique's side and with a sense of surrender that started at the kickoff of the match. If Inzaghi does leave the club, and Saudi side Al-Hilal are in talks to appoint him, it will come at the low point of his time with Inter. Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport rated Inzaghi's performance against PSG with a three out of 10, saying, "He understands nothing about PSG's rotations and pressures. The substitution choices are almost embarrassing. Maybe he'll make up for it in the AFC Champions League. Maybe."

From the start of the final, Inter were a different team from what we've seen this season in their European run, starting from the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich and especially when the Nerazzurri were able to knock out Barcelona in the semifinals. Inter were bad in every facet of the game, starting from their motivation, straight through to their tactical approach, as we could see PSG dominating from the first moment of the Munich final. If the first half showed PSG having total control of the game, the second part of the match was no different. However, the five changes made by Inzaghi were inexplicable, showing how confusion emerged in the final against Enrique, who on the other hand showed to be why he's one of the best managers in the history of the game. 

Inzaghi replaced Federico Dimarco with Nicola Zalewski, who also played as a midfielder in the last stint of the match, and Benjamin Pavard with Yann Bisseck, who suffered an injury and was replaced eight minutes later by Matteo Darmian. Surprisingly enough, the last two changes of Inzaghi were Carlos Augusto who took the place of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Kristjan Asllani for Hakan Calhanoglu, meaning that both Davide Frattesi and Piotr Zielinski didn't feature in the final, same as strikers Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi. In particular, the face of Frattesi not playing in the final after scoring two key goals against Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the second leg of semifinal, is the image of the night for Inter. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian midfielder had a confrontation with Inzaghi at the end of the final, saying the Inter manager had "no respect" for what Frattesi has done this season and beyond. 

The Italian manager built the success of his tenure at Inter on team spirit, and if this is no longer present, it's a major red flag for the club. Inzaghi looked completely lost on the status of his future at the club, considering Al-Hilal have reportedly offered around $50 million for three years to appoint the Italian coach, and there's now a big chance to see him joining the Pro Saudi League ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup starting on June 14 in the United States.

"I don't know if I'll be the coach for Inter at the World Cup. We will sit down in the coming days with the club to discuss the future," Inzaghi said after the final. Inter President Giuseppe Marotta insisted, "Inzaghi's assessment doesn't change after one game," but talks between the two parties will start soon and, given everything, its hard to see Inzaghi extending his four years in charge of the team. He would leave with a resume that includes winning one Serie A title, two Coppa Italia trophies and three Supercoppa Italiana titles. 

All season long, the Nerazzurri looked a different team in the European tournament. It seemed they were prioritizing the Champions League over the domestic league. It turned out being the biggest mistake they could make, as they ended up with no trophies. Inter wanted to try it all this season with the Champions League, knowing some key players probably had their last chance to win the tournament, as they are entering the last phase of their careers. It should have been an extra motivation for them. It wasn't. 

The 2025 summer revolution will now start at Inter, as the club owned by American fund Oaktree are looking to make the roster younger, and have already signed two players ahead of the Club World Cup in winger Luis Henrique from OM and Dinamo Zagreb's talented midfielder Petar Sucic who will immediately joined the Italian team for the summer tournament. However, the biggest decisions to be made will depend on the new manager. If Inzaghi leaves this week, Inter will look for a coach to start a new cycle and to reshape their identity, as Inzaghi was appointed to continue the job Antonio Conte had done at the club before him. Now it's the time to make strong decisions, knowing that after such a big disappointment changes are not only needed, but also deserved.