Inter Milan: The Unlikely Champions of Europe

Internazionale Milan won the Champions League and took the treble on Saturday.  In doing so, they completed the journey from continental also-rans to champions of Europe. 

While there are some who might not call this title indisputable, it is nonetheless commendable when you consider that they defeated Barcelona, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich along the way.

It's also remarkable when you consider that Inter's dominance in the Italian Serie A over the last few years has not always been so much due to their own brilliance as it has been to AC Milan's inability to get its act together.  Since Jose Mourinho took over Inter have made a career of winning somewhat stale 1-0 victories.  It delivers Scudettos, yes—but let's face it, it doesn't make for the most exciting football.

However, in the closing rounds of this year's Champions League, Inter surprised everyone by soundly beating Chelsea, first on their home turf and ultimately over two legs. 

Then for their next act Inter invited then-current European champions, Barcelona, to the San Siro and gave them as sound a thrashing as any they had received under Pep Guardiola.  Down to ten men at the Camp Nou for most of the second leg of this tie, Inter delivered perhaps one of the greatest defensive performances in the modern game to advance to the final.

Going into the final against Bayern Munich, who play a passing and possession game similar to Barcelona, it was hard not to see Inter as favorites.  And indeed they were successful, notching up a comfortable 2-0 victory on the day.

With AC Milan in even worse shape than last year, it's not surprising that Inter won the Scudetto again.  However the Champions League victory demonstrates monumental improvements from last year's campaign.

In last year's competition Inter were routed from the competition after receiving a sound thrashing from Manchester United.  In a pre-season friendly a couple months later they were similarly defeated by Chelsea.  Then the following week their talisman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, departed for Barcelona.

From top to bottom, Inter are without a doubt the strongest team in Italy.  But that they were able to make such a complete European turnaround in one season, especially after loosing their main provider of goals, is a remarkable feat. However, the success of Inter can largely be attributed to a handful of men. 

The addition of Brazilian captain Lucio certainly cemented Inter's back line.  With Julio Cesar behind them in goal, Lucio and Walter Samuel combined to create a defense that was as impenetrable as any in Europe.

Dutchman Wesley Sniejder similarly proved himself to be one of the most effective midfielders in European football.  In the midfield, Sniejder was a one-man show who enabled Inter to always keep their shape at the back.  His ability to provide through balls with pinpoint accuracy and shoot from long range made the Milanese team constantly dangerous in spite of their often ultra-defensive style of play.

And of course, Diego Milito, who scored two against Bayern in the final, was the man who was most consistently able to make good on the chances Sniejder created for him.  His ability to get behind defenders, mislead keepers, and shoot from difficult angles produced the goals Inter needed to make off with the treble this year. 

However it is Jose Mourinho who undoubtedly deserves the lion's share of the credit for Inter's successes.  Beyond just having the foresight to bring such players in and organize them, the man consistently got his tactics right. 

During the closing rounds of the Champions League, Jose Mourinho's understanding of the game allowed Inter to shut down some of the most dangerous men in world football.  Didier Drogba, Lionel Messi, and Arjen Robben were all rendered ultimately useless.

With Mourinho now likely off to Real Madrid, one is tempted to wonder what will become of this all-conquering Inter side.