Internazionale coach Inzaghi is proud of the progress that the Nerazzurri are experiencing in the Champions League. Inter is back in the final battle of the Champions League for the first time since 2010, when José Mourinho won the Champions League final with Wesley Sneijder, among others.
“In a few days, maybe we’ll realize what happened. At first it was a dream to reach the final, but we always believed in it. We’ve had a special journey to the final and this derby win gives us great satisfaction,” Inzaghi told Sport Mediaset.
“We have played four derbies since January and won four times”
Inter survived a group with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen and was too strong for FC Porto, Benfica and thus Milan in the knockout phase. “We have played four derbies since January and won four times. The boys deserve to enjoy this evening,” said Inzaghi.
Inter icon Javier Zanetti has a clear preference for the opponent in the final in Istanbul, but Inzaghi is not sure whether he would rather face Real Madrid or Manchester City. He said, “They are among the best teams in Europe and both have a lot of qualities. I mainly look at ourselves, but I will definitely follow the match between City and Real closely.”
“I am proud of the development the club has gone through. And I know how difficult the last few years have been at Inter. I was asked a year and a half ago to lead Inter to the knockout stages of the Champions League again. That hadn’t happened since 2011. Now we deserve this place in the final,” explains Inzaghi.
The 31-year-old Inter chairman Steven Zhang beamed after the European derby victory: “All credit goes to the trainer and his staff. Anything can happen in the final. We believe in a good result. We have all done our job and brought Inter back to the top.”
“This is my seventh year at Inter, I came here when I was 24. Some players had never played in the Champions League. As long as I’m here, we want to strengthen the team every season. That’s our only goal. I have already worked with many coaches, but Inzaghi is very special. Always calm, that is his greatest quality. He is the only coach who has never asked for a player. He’s very special,” he concluded.
