F.C. Internazionale Milano

Inter
Full name Football Club Internazionale Milano SpA
Nickname(s) I Nerazzurri (The Black and Blues)
La Beneamata (The Cherished One)
Il Biscione (The Big Grass Snake)
Baüscia (Boasters in Lombard language)
Founded March 9, 1908; 103 years ago (1908-03-09)
Ground San Siro, Milan
(Capacity: 80,018[1])
Owner Massimo Moratti
President Massimo Moratti
Manager Claudio Ranieri
League Serie A
2010–11 Serie A, 2nd
Website Club home page
Home colours
Away colours
Current season

Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan.[2][3] They are the Coppa Italia holders.

Inter have always played in Serie A since 1908. The club has won 30 domestic trophies, including the league eighteen times, the Coppa Italia seven and the Supercoppa Italiana five.

Inter have won the Champions League three times; two back-to-back in 1964 and 1965 and then another in 2010. The last completed an unprecedented Italian treble with the Coppa Italia and the Scudetto. The club has also won three UEFA Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Inter wear black and blue stripes and the club's home is the San Siro stadium.

Contents

History

Early years (1908–1952)

The club was founded on 9 March 1908 as Football Club Internazionale Milano, following a "schism" from the Milan Cricket and Football Club (43 members). A group of Italians and Swiss (Giorgio Muggiani, a painter who also designed the club's logo, Bossard, Lana, Bertoloni, De Olma, Enrico Hintermann, Arturo Hintermann, Carlo Hintermann, Pietro Dell'Oro, Hugo and Hans Rietmann, Voelkel, Maner, Wipf, and Carlo Ardussi) were unhappy about the domination of Italians in the AC Milan team, and broke away from them, leading to the creation of Internazionale. From the beginning, the club was open to foreign players and thus lived up to its founding name.

The club won its very first Scudetto (championship) in 1910 and its second in 1920. The captain and coach of the first Scudetto was Virgilio Fossati, who fell in World War I. In 1922 Inter were in Group B of the Serie A and came in last place after picking up only 11 points in the season. The last place team of each group was to be automatically relegated. The second last place teams were placed in a pre-relegation 'salvation' tournament. Inter and La Gazzetta dello Sport editor (Colombo) petitioned the FIGC to allow Inter to participate in Serie A the following year as a year in Serie B would have been financially detrimental. The FIGC saved Inter some weeks prior to the season starting by allowing them to remain in Serie A in 1923. In 1928, during the Fascist era, the club was forced to merge with the Milanese Unione Sportiva and was renamed Ambrosiana SS Milano.[4] They wore white shirts around this time with a red cross emblazoned on it. This shirt design was inspired by the flag and coat of arms of the city of Milan, which in turn is derived from the flag of the patron saint of Milan, St. Ambrose and dates back to the 4th century AD. The new upcoming President Oreste Simonotti decided to change name to AS Ambrosiana in 1929. However, supporters continued to call the team "Inter", and in 1931, new president Pozzani caved to shareholder pressure and changed the name to AS Ambrosiana-Inter.

Their first Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) was won in 1938–39, led by Giuseppe Meazza, after whom the San Siro stadium is officially named, and a fifth league championship followed in 1940, despite an injury to Meazza. After the end of World War II the club re-emerged under a name close to their original one, Internazionale FC Milano, which they have kept ever since.

La Grande Inter

1965 European Cup Final starting lineup vs. Benfica
1964 European Cup Final starting lineup vs. Real Madrid

Following the war, Internazionale won their sixth championship in 1953 and the seventh in 1954. Following these titles, Inter were to embark upon the best years of their history, affectionately known as the era of La Grande Inter (The Great Inter). During this period with Helenio Herrera as head coach, the club won three league championships in 1963, 1965 and 1966. The most famous moments during this decade also include Inter's two back-to-back European Cup wins. In 1964, Inter won the first of those tournaments, playing against the famous Spanish club Real Madrid. The next season, playing in their home stadium, the San Siro, they defeated two-time former champions Benfica. In 1966–67 season Internazionale got to the European Cup final again but lost 2–1 to Celtic in Lisbon.

Following the golden era of the 1960s, Inter managed to win their 11th league title in 1971 and their twelfth in 1980. Inter were defeated for the second time in five years in the final of the European Cup, going down 2–0 to Johan Cruyff's Ajax in 1972. During the 1970s and the 1980s, Inter also added two Coppa Italias to their tally in 1977–78 and 1981–82.

Led by the German duo of Andreas Brehme and Lothar Matthäus, and Argentine Ramón Díaz, Inter captured the 1989 Serie A championship under coach Giovanni Trapattoni. Fellow German Jürgen Klinsmann and the Italian Supercup were added the following season but to little avail as Inter did not manage to defend their title.

Hard times (1990–2004)

The 1990s were a period of disappointment for the club. While their great rivals Milan and Juventus were achieving success both domestically and in Europe, Inter were left behind, with some mediocre positions in the standings, their worst finishes being in 1993–94 when they were just one point from relegation. Nevertheless, they achieved some European success in that decade with three UEFA Cup victories in 1991, 1994, and 1998.

With Massimo Moratti's takeover from Ernesto Pellegrini in 1995, Inter were promised more success with many high profile signings such as Ronaldo, Christian Vieri, and Hernán Crespo, with Inter twice breaking the world record transfer fee in this period. €19.5 million for Ronaldo from Barcelona in 1997 and €31 million for Christian Vieri from Lazio in 1999. However, the 1990s remained a decade of disappointment and is the only decade in Inter's history in which they failed to win a single Serie A championship. For Inter fans, it was difficult to identify who in particular might be to blame for these troubled times and this led to some icy relations between president, managers, and even some individual players.

Inter chairman Massimo Moratti later became a target for the fans, especially when he sacked much-loved coach Luigi Simoni after only a few games into the 1998–99 season, after having just received the Italian Manager of the Year award for 1998 the day before, Moratti decided to end his contract. In the 1998–99 season Inter failed to qualify for any European competition for the first time in almost 10 years, finishing in a poor eighth place.

In the 1999–00 season, Massimo Moratti made some major changes, once again with some high-profile signings. A major coup for Inter was the appointment of former Juventus manager Marcello Lippi. Inter were seen by the majority of the fans and press to have finally put together a winning formula. Other signings included Angelo Peruzzi and French legend Laurent Blanc together with other former Juventus players Christian Vieri and Vladimir Jugović. Inter were also seen to have an advantage in this season as they had no European "distraction". Once again they failed to win the elusive Scudetto. However, they did manage to come close to their first domestic success since 1989 when they reached the Coppa Italia final only to be defeated by Lazio allowing them to win the Scudetto and domestic cup double.

The following season, more disaster struck. Inter impressed in the Supercoppa Italia match against Lazio and took the lead through new signing Robbie Keane – however, they lost 4–3. Overall, though, they were looking good for the season that was about to start. What followed was another embarrassment as they were eliminated in the preliminary round of the Champions League by Swedish club Helsingborg. Álvaro Recoba was given the opportunity to draw the sides level with a last-minute penalty, yet he missed, saved by the goalkeeper Sven Andersson, and Inter found themselves back at square one as Marcello Lippi, the manager at the time, was sacked after only a single game of the new season following Inter's first ever Serie A defeat to Reggina. Throughout this period, Inter suffered mockery from their neighbours AC Milan; Milan were having a period of success both domestically and in Europe. They also seemed to be suffering from a series of non-ending defeats at the hands of their city rivals, including an unfortunate 6–0 defeat in the 2000–01 season—their worst "home" result in history. Marco Tardelli, chosen to replace Lippi, failed to improve results, and is remembered by Inter fans as the manager that lost this match. Other members of the Inter squad during this period that suffered were the likes of Christian Vieri and Fabio Cannavaro, both of whom had their restaurants in Milan vandalised after defeats against Milan. Although the signing of Iván Córdoba from San Lorenzo, which was an squad improvement for the next years.

Inter fans' protests throughout this period ranged from vandalism to banners being unfurled in the stadium to protest against certain players. In some cases fans arranged for the Curva Nord, a section of the stadium to be empty for entire matches. Inter were in this period often deemed to be one of the favourites for the championship. This led to a popular Milan chant against Inter — "Luglio Agosto" (July and August); this was because during the summer months according to the press Inter had won the championship before it had even begun, only for them not to realise their promise.

In 2002, not only did Inter manage to make it to the UEFA cup semi-finals, they were also only 45 minutes away from capturing the Scudetto, when they needed to maintain a one-goal advantage over Lazio at Rome's Stadio Olimpico in the final match of the season, and Inter were top of the Serie A table at kick-off. However, a defeat would see Juventus, who were second, or even Roma, in third place, take the title from them, should these sides win. As a result, some Lazio fans were actually openly supporting Inter during this match, as an Inter victory would prevent their bitter rivals Roma from winning the championship. Inter were 2–1 up after only 24 minutes. Lazio equalised during first half injury time and then scored two more goals in the second half to clinch victory that eventually saw Juventus win the championship after their 2–0 victory away to Udinese. The date of this match – 5 May 2002 – still haunts Inter.

2002–03 saw Inter take a respectable second place and also managed to make it to the 2003 Champions League semi-finals against Milan. Although they drew on aggregate 1–1 with Milan, Inter lost on the away goals rule, even though both matches were played in the same stadium. It was another disappointment but they were finally on the right track.

However, once again Massimo Moratti's impatience got the better of him, Hernán Crespo was sold after just one season, and Hector Cuper was fired after only a few games. Alberto Zaccheroni stepped in, a life-long Inter fan but also the man who had been in charge of Lazio's 4–2 win over Inter in 2002; the fans were sceptical. Zaccheroni brought nothing new to the side, apart from two fantastic wins over Juventus 3–1 in Turin and 3–2 at the San Siro and the season was again nothing special. They were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the first round after finishing third in the group. Furthermore, they only just managed to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in fourth place, only a point ahead of Parma. Inter's only saving grace in 2003–04 was the arrival of Dejan Stanković and Adriano in January 2004, both solid players that filled the gap left by the departures of Hernán Crespo and Clarence Seedorf.

Resurrection (2004–2008)

On 1 July 2004, Inter announced on their official website that they had appointed former Lazio boss Roberto Mancini as new head coach. In his first season Inter and Mancini collected 72 points from 18 win, 18 draw and only 2 loses. On 15 June 2005, Internazionale won the Coppa Italia, defeating Roma in the two-legged final 3–0 on aggregate (1–0 win in Milan and 2–0 win in Rome) and followed that up on 20 August 2005 by winning the Supercoppa Italiana after an extra-time 1–0 victory against original 2004–05 Serie A champions Juventus (before being stripped of this title). This Super Cup win was Inter's first since 1989, coincidentally the same year since Inter last won the Scudetto before 2006. On 11 May 2006, Inter retained their Coppa Italia trophy by once again, defeating Roma with a 4–1 aggregate victory (A 1–1 scoreline in Rome and a 3–1 win at the San Siro).

Inter were awarded the 2005–06 Serie A championship as they were the highest placed side in the season's final league table after points were stripped from Juventus and Milan — both sides being involved in the match fixing scandal that year. On 14 July 2006, the Italian Federal Appeal Commission found Serie A clubs Juventus, Lazio, Fiorentina, Reggina, and Milan guilty of match-fixing and punished the five clubs involved. As a result, with the relegation of Juventus to Serie B (for the first time in their history) and the 8-point deduction for city rivals Milan, Inter became favorites to retain their Serie A title for the upcoming 2006–07 Serie A season.

During the season, Inter went on a record-breaking run of 17 consecutive victories in Serie A, starting on 25 September 2006 with a 4–1 home win over Livorno and ending on 28 February 2007 after a 1–1 draw at home to Udinese. The 5–2 away win at Catania on 25 February 2007 broke the original record of 15 matches held by both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid from the "Big 5" (the top flight leagues in England, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany). The run lasted for almost five months and is among the best in European league football, with just Benfica (29 wins), Celtic (25 wins) and PSV (22 wins) bettering it. Inter's form dipped a little as they recorded 0–0 and 2–2 draws against relegation-battlers Reggina and slumping to Palermo (respectively), the latter game featuring a second-half comeback after Palermo went up 2–0 at halftime. They could not keep their invincible form up near the end of the season as well, as they lost their first game of the domestic season to Roma at the San Siro 3–1, thanks to two late Roma goals. Inter had enjoyed an unbeaten Serie A run for just under a year.

On 22 April 2007, Inter were crowned Serie A champions for the second consecutive season—and for the first time on the field since 1989—after defeating Siena 2–1 at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Italian World Cup winning defender Marco Materazzi scored both goals in the 18th and 60th minute, with the latter being a penalty.

The 16th Championship

Inter started the 2007–08 season with the goal of winning both Serie A and UEFA Champions League. The team started well in the league, topping the table from the first round of matches, and also managed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage; however, a late collapse leading to a 2–0 defeat with 10 men away to Liverpool on 19 February in the Champions League threw into question manager Roberto Mancini's future at Inter, and domestic form took a sharp turn of fortune with the team failing to win in the three following Serie A games (drawing with Sampdoria and major league opponents Roma, before losing away to Napoli, their first domestic defeat of the season). After being eliminated by Liverpool in the Champions League, Mancini then announced his intention to leave his job, only to change his mind the following day.

Following their late collapse leading to a 2–0 loss with 10 men away to Liverpool on 19 February in the Champions League and questions over Mancini's future Inter's domestic form took a sharp turn of fortune with the team failing to win in the three following Serie A games (drawing with Sampdoria and Roma, before losing away to Napoli). Inter had a second run of this kind between 19 and 29 March in which they again went winless through three games (against Genoa, Juventus and Lazio.) Like weeks previously, on 4 May 2008 Inter once again had a chance to wrap up their scudetto race; this time against city rivals AC Milan, but suffered a 2–1 defeat. The following week Inter again had the chance to wrap up their scudetto against Siena in a home match, complete with a festive atmosphere and an expectant crowd. However, Inter again failed to win the Scudetto, losing their lead twice and ultimately earning a 2–2 draw, with Marco Materazzi failing to convert a penalty in the dying embers of the match. The same week Roma scored a 2–1 victory away to Atalanta, thus catapulting the Romans to within just 1 point of Inter going into the final round of the Championship, despite trailing their Milanese rivals by 11 points earlier on in the season.

On Day 38, the final day of the Seria A 2007–2008 season, Inter played Parma FC away, whilst Roma travelled to Catania. This week offered an interesting juxtaposition, as both Roma and Inter looked to take the title, whereas Parma and Catania were both fighting for survival. Many scenarios could have played out, however Inter were still favourites due to their superior head to head record with Roma, all Inter needed to do was match Roma's result. The day started with Roma taking an early lead against Catania and for 60 minutes of the final day Roma were top of the league; however, the lead would not hold. Inter, seemingly rejuvenated due to the introduction of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, began to take control of the game. Amidst the pouring rain at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma, Ibrahimvoic fired a low shot making it 1–0 in the 62'. Another Ibrahimovic blast sealed the victory, and with it the hope of winning the championship faded away for Roma. Elsewhere, Catania managed to score a late equalizer that granted them the stay in Serie A for the upcoming 2009 season and left Roma 3 points behind Inter.

Inter sealed their 3rd Championship in a row and had a late night celebration at the San Siro stadium upon their return to Milan, where they were presented with the Serie A trophy.

Following this win, the club however decided to sack Mancini on 29 May, citing his declarations following the Champions League defeat to Liverpool as the reason.[5]

Modern history (2008–present)

On 2 June, Inter announced on their official website that they had appointed former FC Porto and Chelsea boss José Mourinho as new head coach, with Giuseppe Baresi as his assistant. This made Mourinho the only foreign coach in Italy in the 2008–09 season kick-off.[6] Mourinho made only three additions to the squad during the summer transfer window of 2008 in the form of Mancini,[7] Sulley Muntari,[8] and Ricardo Quaresma.[9] Under Mourinho's first season as Inter head coach, the Nerazzurri won an Italian Super Cup and a fourth consecutive title, being, however, also eliminated from the Champions League in the first knockout round for a third consecutive time, losing to Manchester United. In winning the league title for the fourth consecutive time, Inter joined Torino and Juventus as the only teams to do this and the first to accomplish this feat in the last 60 years.

The Quintuple (2010)
2010 Club World Cup Final starting lineup vs. TP Mazembe
2010 Champions League Final starting lineup vs. Bayern Munich

Inter enjoyed more luck in the 2009–10 Champions League, managing to progress to the quarter-finals by eliminating Mourinho's former team Chelsea in a 3–1 aggregate win; this was the first time in three years that the Nerazzurri had passed the first knockout round. Inter then progressed to the semi-finals of the tournament by beating CSKA Moscow 2–0 on aggregate, winning both legs.[10] Inter managed to achieve a 3–1 win over incumbent champions Barcelona in the first leg of the semi-final. In the second leg, a resolute Inter lost 1–0 but progressed 3–2 on aggregate to their fifth European Cup/Champions League Final, with Bayern Munich as opponents. They won the match 2–0 thanks to two goals from Diego Milito, and were crowned champions of Europe.[11] Inter also won the 2009–2010 Serie A title by two points over Roma, and the 2010 Coppa Italia by defeating the same side 1–0 in the final.[12]

By winning the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the prestigious Champions League in a single season, Internazionale completed The Treble, becoming the first ever Italian team to achieve the feat. However, their attempt to defend these honours will be without José Mourinho, as he agreed a deal to take charge of Spanish club Real Madrid on 28 May 2010.[13] Inter appointed Rafael Benítez as new coach after signing a two-year contract on June 2010.

On 21 August 2010, Inter defeated Roma 3–1 and won the 2010 Supercoppa Italiana, the fourth trophy of the year. In December 2010, they claimed the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time after a 3–0 win against TP Mazembe in the final.[14] Internazionale completed The Quintuple, becoming the fourth team in the world after Liverpool in 2001, Al-Ahly in 2006 & Barcelona in 2009. However, after this win, on 23 December, due to his poor performance in Serie A and separated by 13 points from the leader Milan (although Inter played two games less, because of the FIFA Club World Cup appointment), the team announced on their website the departure of Rafael Benítez[15] to be replaced by Leonardo the following day.[16] During the winter transfer window, Andrea Ranocchia,[17] Giampaolo Pazzini,[18] Houssine Kharja,[19] and Yuto Nagatomo[20] joined the squad.

As the start of 2011–12 Serie A, Inter sold its flagship striker Samuel Eto'o. On 8 September, Moratti concluded the transfer deals were aimed for UEFA Financial Fair Play.[21]

Other historical information

Internazionale have never been relegated from the Italian top flight in their entire history, which dates back all the way to 1908; a fact Nerazzurri fans hold in high regard. By comparison, A.C. Milan have been relegated twice. As of 2006, following Juventus' relegation to Serie B for the 2006–07 season following the Calciopoli scandal, Inter is the only Italian club that holds this honour, and its century in the top flight is one of the longest unbroken runs of any club in the world.

From 2006 to 2010 the club won five successive league titles, equalling the all-time record.[22]

The current president and owner of Internazionale is Massimo Moratti. His father Angelo was the president of Inter during the club's golden era of the 1960s. Massimo, trying to emulate his father's great success, has spent an enormous amount of money in his time at the club to sign some of the world's best players in past and present generations, in an effort to win the Scudetto for the first time since 1989. Due to Inter's failure to win major silverware during most of his premiership, there was frequent criticism of Moratti by Interisti.[citation needed] Massimo initially threatened to put the club up for sale at the end of the 2005–06 season, but cancelled such plans after Inter was awarded the Serie A championship due to calciopoli.

Colours, badge and nicknames

One of the founders of Inter, a painter named Giorgio Muggiani, was responsible for the design of the first Inter logo in 1908. The first design incorporated the letters 'FCIM' in the center of a series of circles that formed the badge of the club. The basic elements of the design have remained constant even as finer details have been modified over the years. In 1998, the club came out with a brand-new iteration of the club crest, sticking to the original design while adding minor aesthetic updates.

Colors

Ambrosiana Inter Kit

Since its founding in 1908, Inter have worn black and blue stripes. It is rumored that black was chosen to represent night and blue was chosen to represent the sky.[23] Aside from a short period during World War II, Inter continued to wear the black and blue stripes, earning them the nickname Nerazzurri.[24] For a period of time, however, Inter was forced to abandon their black and blue uniforms. In 1928, Inter's name and philosophy made the ruling Fascist Party uneasy. As a result, during the same year the 20-year-old club was merged with Unione Sportiva Milanese. The new club was named Ambrosiana SS Milano after the patron saint of Milan.[25] The flag of Milan (the red cross on white background) replaced the traditional black and blue.[26] After World War II when the Fascists had fallen from power the club reverted to their original name and colors. In 2008, Inter celebrated their centenary with a red cross on their away shirt. Reminiscent of the flag of their city, the pattern continues to be used on their third kit to this day.

The Serpent

Animals are often used to represent football clubs in Italy, the grass snake, called Il biscione or Serpente representing Inter. The snake is an important symbol for the city of Milan, appearing often in Milanese heraldry as a coiled viper with a man in its jaws. The symbol is famous for its presence on the coat of arms of the House of Sforza (who ruled over Italy from Milan during the Renaissance period), the city of Milan, the historical Duchy of Milan (a 400 year state of the Holy Roman Empire), and Insubria (a historical regional area which the city of Milan falls within). For the 2010–11 season Inter's away kit featured the serpent.

Current squad

Players

As of 31 August 2011[27]

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Júlio César
2 DF Iván Córdoba (vice-captain)
4 DF Javier Zanetti (captain)
5 MF Dejan Stanković
6 DF Lúcio
7 FW Giampaolo Pazzini
8 MF Thiago Motta
9 FW Diego Forlán
10 MF Wesley Sneijder
11 MF Ricardo Álvarez
12 GK Luca Castellazzi
13 DF Maicon
16 DF Luca Caldirola
18 MF Andrea Poli (on loan from Sampdoria)
19 MF Esteban Cambiasso
20 MF Joel Obi
21 GK Paolo Orlandoni
No. Position Player
22 FW Diego Milito
23 DF Andrea Ranocchia
25 DF Walter Samuel
26 DF Cristian Chivu
28 FW Mauro Zárate (on loan from Lazio)
29 MF Philippe Coutinho
30 FW Luc Castaignos
33 GK Emiliano Viviano
37 DF Marco Davide Faraoni
42 DF Jonathan
44 DF Matteo Bianchetti
48 MF Lorenzo Crisetig
55 DF Yuto Nagatomo
70 GK Paolo Tornaghi
77 MF Sulley Muntari
MF Sebastian Carlsén

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Enrico Alfonso (at Cremonese, co-owned with Chievo)
FW Denis Alibec (at Mechelen)
GK Francesco Bardi (Co-ownership with Livorno)
GK Vid Belec (at Crotone)
DF Simone Benedetti (at Gubbio, co-owned with Torino)
DF Cristiano Biraghi (at Juve Stabia)
FW Riccardo Bocalon (at Cremonese)
DF Giulio Donati (at Padova)
DF Antonio Esposito (at Piacenza)
No. Position Player
DF Dennis Esposito (at Lecco)
FW Kerlon (at Nacional de Nova Serrana)
MF McDonald Mariga (at Real Sociedad)
DF Andrea Mei (at VVV-Venlo)
DF Felice Natalino (at Verona)
FW Goran Pandev (at Napoli)
DF Michele Rigione (at Cremonese)
MF Luca Tremolada (at Pisa)

Primavera

Non-playing staff

Position Staff
Manager Claudio Ranieri
Assistant manager Giuseppe Baresi
Technical assistant Daniele Bernazzani
Technical assistant Paolo Benetti
Technical assistant Christian Damiano
Goalkeeper coach Giorgio Pellizzaro
Chief of fitness coaches Riccardo Capanna
Fitness coach Stefano Rapetti
Match analyst Michele Salzarulo
Chief of medical staff Franco Combi
Doctor Giorgio Panico
Rehabilitation coach Andrea Scannavino
Rehabilitation coach Roberto Niccolai
Rehabilitation coach Maurizio Fanchini
Masseur
Physiotherapist
Marco Dellacasa
Masseur
Physiotherapist
Massimo Dellacasa
Masseur
Physiotherapist
Luigi Sessolo
Rehabilitation staff Andrea Galli
Rehabilitation staff Alberto Galbiati
Technical Director Marco Branca
Sporting Director Piero Ausilio

Last updated: 22 September 2011
Source: F.C. Internazionale Milano

Retired numbers

3Giacinto Facchetti, left back, 1960–1978 (posthumous honour). The number was retired on 8 September 2006. The last player to wear the shirt was Argentinian center back Nicolás Burdisso, who took on the number 16 shirt for the rest of the season.[28]

Noted players

Presidential history

Inter have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents. Here is a complete list of them.[29]

 
Name Years
Giovanni Paramithiotti 1908–1909
Ettore Strauss 1909–1910
Carlo de Medici 1910–1912
Emilio Hirzel 1912–1914
Luigi Ansbacher 1914
Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone 1914–1919
Giorgio Hulss 1919–1920
 
Name Years
Francesco Mauro 1920–1923
Enrico Olivetti 1923–1926
Senatore Borletti 1926–1929
Ernesto Torrusio 1929–1930
Oreste Simonotti 1930–1932
Ferdinando Pozzani 1932–1942
Carlo Masseroni 1942–1955
 
Name Years
Angelo Moratti 1955–1968
Ivanoe Fraizzoli 1968–1984
Ernesto Pellegrini 1984–1995
Massimo Moratti 1995–2004
Giacinto Facchetti 2004–2006
Massimo Moratti 2006–present

Managerial history

In Internazionale's history, 55 coaches have coached the club. The first manager was Virgilio Fossati. Helenio Herrera had the longest reign as Internazionale coach, with nine years (eight consecutive) in charge, and is the most successful coach in Inter history with three Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cup wins. José Mourinho, who was appointed on 2 June 2008, and completed his first season in Italy by winning the Serie A league title and the Supercoppa Italiana, in the second season he won the first "treble" in Italian history, the Serie A league title, Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League in the season 2009–2010, becoming the second most successful coach in Inter history.

Trophies winners
Name Period Trophies Total
Domestic International
Se Cp Sc EC/CL UC ICp/CWC
Virgilio Fossati 1909–1915
1
1
Nino Resegotti 1919–1922
1
0
1
Árpád Weisz 1929–1931
1
1
Armando Castellazzi 1936–1938
1
0
1
Tony Cargnelli 1938–1940
1
1
2
Alfredo Foni 1952–1955
2
2
Helenio Herrera 1960–1968, 1973
3
0
2
0
2
7
Giovanni Invernizzi 1970–1973
1
0
0
0
0
1
Eugenio Bersellini 1977–1982
1
2
0
0
0
3
Giovanni Trapattoni 1986–1991
1
0
1
0
1
0
3
Giampiero Marini 1994
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Luigi Simoni 1997–1998
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Roberto Mancini 2004–2008
3
2
2
0
0
0
7
José Mourinho 2008–2010
2
1
1
1
0
0
5
Rafael Benítez 2010
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
Leonardo 2010–2011
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
Total 1909–
18
7
5
3
3
3
39

Supporters and rivalries

Inter is one of the most supported clubs in Italy, according to an August 2007 research by Italian newspaper La Repubblica.[30] Historically, the largest section of Inter fans from the city of Milan have been the middle-class bourgeoisie Milanese, while AC Milan fans are typically working-class and a significant portion are migrants from Southern Italy.[24]

The traditional ultras group of Inter is Boys San; they hold a significant place in the history of the ultras scene in general due to the fact that they are one of the oldest, being founded in 1969. Politically, the ultras of Inter are usually considered right-wing and they have good relationships with the Lazio ultras. As well as the main group of Boys San, there are four more significant groups: Viking, Irriducibili, Ultras, and Brianza Alcoolica.

Inter's most vocal fans are known to gather in the Curva Nord, or north curve of the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. This longstanding tradition has led to the Curva Nord being synonymous with the club's most die-hard supporters, who unfurl banners and wave flags in support of their team.

Inter have several rivalries, two of which are highly significant in Italian football; firstly, they participate in the inter-city Derby della Madonnina with AC Milan; the rivalry has existed ever since Inter splintered off from Milan in 1908.[24] The name of the derby refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose statue atop the Milan Cathedral is one of the city's main attractions. The match usually creates a lively atmosphere, with numerous (often humorous or offensive) banners unfolded before the match. Flares are commonly present, but they also led to the abandonment of the second leg of the 2005 Champions League quarter-final matchup between Milan and Inter on 12 April after a flare thrown from the crowd by an Inter supporter struck Milan keeper Dida on the shoulder.[31]

The other most significant rivalry is with Juventus; the two participate in the Derby d'Italia. Up until the 2006 Serie A match-fixing scandal, which saw Juventus relegated, the two were the only Italian clubs to have never played below Serie A. In recent years, post-Calciopoli, Inter have developed a rivalry with Roma, having finished runners-up to Inter in all but one of Inter's five Scudetto winning seasons between 2005 and 2010. The two sides have also contested in 5 Coppa Italia finals and four Supercoppa Italiana finals since 2006. Other clubs, such as Atalanta and Napoli, are also considered to be amongst their rivals.[32]

Honours

National titles

Serie A:

Coppa Italia:

Supercoppa Italiana:

International titles

The following titles include only those which are recognised by UEFA and FIFA.

World-wide titles

Intercontinental Cup: [34]

Intercontinental Supercup:

  • Runners-up (1): 1968

FIFA Club World Cup:

European titles

European Cup/Champions League:

UEFA Cup:

UEFA Super Cup:

  • Runners-up (1): 2010

Individual honours

FIFA World Player of the Year

The following players have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award while playing for FC Internazionale Milano:

Ballon d'Or/European Footballer of the Year

The following players have won the Ballon d'Or award while playing for FC Internazionale Milano:

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year

The following players have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award while playing for Internazionale:

FC Internazionale Milano as a company

According to The Football Money League published by consultants Deloitte, in the 2008–09 season, Inter recorded revenues of €196.5 million, ranking 9th place behind Juventus and ahead of AC Milan in the rankings. The club beat their previous season earnings of €172.9 million by a significant margin and are one spot higher this season than last. For the first time since The Football Money League's inception, Inter have beaten city rivals AC Milan in the rankings.

Revenue percentages were divided up between matchday (14%, €28.2m), broadcasting (59%, €115.7m, +7%, +€8m) and commercial (27%, €52.6m, +43%, €15.8m). Kit sponsors Nike and Pirelli contributed €18.1m and €9.3m respectively to commercial revenues, while broadcasting revenues were boosted €1.6m (6%) by Champions League distribution.

For the 2010/2011 season, Serie A clubs will start negotiating club TV rights collectively rather than individually. This is predicted to result in lower broadcasting revenues for Inter, with smaller clubs gaining from the loss.

Inter's matchday revenues amounted to only €1.1m per home game, compared to €2.6m among the top six earners.

Deloitte expressed the idea that issues in Italian football, particularly matchday revenue issues were holding Inter back compared to other European giants, and developing their own stadia would result in Serie A clubs being more competitive on the world stage.[35]

Inter also one of the biggest financial "black-hole" among the Italian clubs, which in 2006–07 had a net loss of €206 million[36] (€112 million extraordinary basis, due to the change in accounting standard for amortization of transfer fee, covered by proposed capital increases of €99 million), 2007–08 not announced, 2008–09 a net loss of €154,423,469[37] (covered by a proposed capital increase of 70 million,[38] later increased to €90 million[37]) and most recently €69,045,804[37] (covered by a proposed capital increase of €40 million)[39] It was contributed by the sales of Ibrahimović, the treble and the release clause of coach José Mourinho.

Kit manufacturers & Shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1979–1981 Puma
1981/1982 Inno-Hit
1982–1986 Mecsport Misura
1986–1988 Le Coq Sportif
1988–1991 Uhlsport
1991/1992 Umbro FitGar
1992–1995 Fiorucci
1995–1998 Pirelli
1998–2018 Nike

References

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  3. ^ http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheClub120.html
  4. ^ "Storia". FC Internazionale Milano. http://www.inter.it/en/societa/storia.html. Retrieved 6 September 2007. 
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  10. ^ . http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=316882. 
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  12. ^ "Jose Mourinho's Treble-chasing Inter Milan win Serie A". BBC Sport. 16 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8685518.stm. Retrieved 24 May 2010. 
  13. ^ "Mourinho unveiled as boss of Real". BBC News. 31 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8708315.stm. 
  14. ^ "TP Mazembe 0–3 Internazionale". ESPN Soccernet. 18 December 2010. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=309865&cc=5739. Retrieved 18 December 2010. 
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  22. ^ "Italy – List of Champions". RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/italchamp.html%7Cpublisher=RSSSF. 
  23. ^ "9 marzo 1908, 43 milanisti fondano l'Inter". ViviMilano.it. 24 June 2007. http://www.corriere.it/vivimilano/speciali/inter/index.shtml. 
  24. ^ a b c "AC Milan vs. Inter Milan". FootballDerbies.com. 25 July 2007. http://www.footballderbies.com/honours/index.php?id=30. 
  25. ^ http://emeroteca.coni.it/?q=node/6&f=822&p=1
  26. ^ "Ambrosiana S.S 1928". Toffs.com. 24 June 2007. http://www.toffs.com/icat/ambrosiana. 
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  28. ^ http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=23876&stringa=facchetti%203
  29. ^ "Tutti I Presidenti". InterFC.it. 8 June 2007. http://www.interfc.it/Presidenti.asp. 
  30. ^ "Research: Supporters of football clubs in Italy" (in Italian). La Repubblica official website. August 2007. http://www.repubblica.it/2007/08/sezioni/sport/calcio/tifo-contro/tifo-contro/tifo-contro.html. 
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  32. ^ http://www.rangers.it/avversari/inter.html
  33. ^ This title awarded through the courts following the Calciopoli scandal.
  34. ^ Up until 2004, the main tournament to determine football's World Champions was the Intercontinental Champions Club' Cup (so called European / South American Cup); since then, it has been the FIFA Club World Cup.
  35. ^ https://www.deloitte.co.uk/registrationforms/pdf/DeloitteFML2010.pdf
  36. ^ "Assemblea dei Soci: approvato il bilancio" (in Italian). FC Internazionale Milano (www.inter.it). 27 December 2007. http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=39878&L=it. Retrieved 5 August 2011. 
  37. ^ a b c (in Italian) FC Internazionale Milano Spa 2009–10 Bilancio. Registro Imprese & C.C.I.A.A.. ca. January 2011. 
  38. ^ "Assemblea Soci Inter: approvato il bilancio" (in Italian). FC Internazionale Milano (www.inter.it). 26 October 2009. http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=46182&L=it. Retrieved 5 August 2011. 
  39. ^ "Assemblea Soci Inter: ricavi, oltre 300 milioni" (in Italian). FC Internazionale Milano (www.inter.it). 28 October 2010. http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=50038&L=it. Retrieved 5 August 2011. 

External links

Official websites