How abnormal was Inter Milan’s Triple Crown winner that year? His opponents went home crying

On May 22, 2010, the Champions League final at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Inter Milan versus Bayern Munich. In the 35th minute of the game, Milito broke through from the right and scored 1-0. Milito scored again in the 70th minute to make it 2-0. At the final whistle, Inter Milan won the Champions League. In addition to the Serie A championship and Italian Cup that they had already won, Inter Milan completed the only treble in the club's history this season.

Coach Mourinho left the field in tears after the game. After hugging each player, he left Milan and joined Real Madrid. This is Inter Milan's most glorious year and one of the most classic seasons in world football. Fifteen years later, that Inter team is still a legend that football fans recall over and over again.

Why is this team so strong?

Coach Mourinho deserves the first credit. He took over Inter Milan after leaving Chelsea in June 2008 and turned Inter Milan from a regular Serie A team into a European champion in two seasons. Mourinho's core tactic is a solid counterattack with 5 defenders and two forwards, making Inter Milan the most difficult team to break in Europe.

In terms of lineup, Inter Milan is a true all-star. Goalkeeper Cesar is the main player of the Brazilian national team, and the defenders Samuel, Lucio, Maicon, and Thornton are all central defenders of the national teams of various countries. Midfielder Cambiasso, Stankovic, Motta, Figo, Sneijder. Forwards Milito, Eto'o, Pandev. The average age of this lineup is 28 years old, which is at their peak.

The specific results of the Triple Crown winners

Serie A champion: 24 wins, 10 draws and 4 losses in 38 rounds, 82 points, 2 points ahead of AC Milan. Coppa Italia champion: Won 1-0 against Roma in the final, Milito scored. Champions League champion: Eliminated Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, ​​and Bayern Munich.

The most difficult one was the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. At that time, Barcelona was the pinnacle team of Guardiola's era and had just won the last Champions League championship. Inter Milan won 3-1 at home in the first leg, lost 0-1 away in the second leg, and eliminated Barcelona with a total score of 3-2. This is the most classic example of Mourinho's tactical philosophy.

How did you win the semi-final away game 0-1?

In the second leg of the semifinals at Camp Nou, Inter Milan's 10 players plus the goalkeeper set up a bus to defend. Mourinho told the players before the game that we don't need to score goals, we just need to prevent the opponent from scoring goals.

Barcelona had more than 80% of the ball and shot 28 times but were held by Inter Milan. Milito and four other defenders worked together to block all Barcelona's space. Motta was sent off early, but 10-man Inter still held on until the end. This tactical philosophy of completing the most difficult tasks with the least resources allowed Inter Milan to eliminate Barcelona 3 to 2.

Key moments from the final against Bayern

In the final, Bayern Munich was coached by Van Gaan, and the core of the team were Robben and Franck Ribery. Bayern pressed Inter Milan in the opening game, but Inter Milan's defense was solid. In the 35th minute, Milito received a pass from Eto'o and broke through from the right to push the goal. The subtlety of this goal was that Milito used his left foot instead of his usual right foot.

In the 70th minute, Milito scored again after receiving a pass from Sneijder. The ball passed between the legs of Bayern central defender Van Buiten. It was the iconic goal of Inter Milan's Triple Crown. Milito has scored two goals in the final, and has scored a total of 6 goals in the Champions League this season. He also won the UEFA Best Player Award that year.

How did Milito become?

Diego Milito was born in Argentina in 1979. In 2010, he was 31 years old and at the peak of his career. He has played in Deportivo La Coruna and Genoa before, without any particularly dazzling results. In the summer of 2009, Inter Milan spent 28 million euros to buy him, which was considered a strange move by Mourinho at the time.

As a result, Milito scored 22 Serie A goals and 6 Champions League goals in one year at Inter Milan, including two goals in the Champions League final. The combination of him and Eto'o created a chemical reaction in Inter Milan's frontcourt, proving Mourinho's vicious vision.

Eto'o's wing switch

Samuel Eto'o was the world's top forward at the time and moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan in the summer of 2009. Mourinho asked him to switch from the center to the right wing. This transformation puzzled many people because Eto'o's center value is much higher than that of the winger.

But Eto'o obeyed Mourinho's arrangements and scored 12 Serie A goals + 4 Champions League goals on the right wing throughout the season. His wing activities made room for Milito, and the chemistry between the two left Inter Milan with no solution in the frontcourt. Eto'o later said in an interview that Mourinho was the only coach who could let him play on the wing.

Lucio's leadership

Brazilian defender Lucio is the core of Inter Milan's defense. Joining Inter Milan from Bayern in the summer of 2009, he brought European championship experience to Inter Milan. Lucio's characteristic is that he not only defends but also assists. In the final against Bayern, he pressed forward many times to participate in the offense.

Lucio served as captain many times during the season and was the spiritual leader of the locker room. Mourinho said after the game that Lucio is one of the smartest central defenders he has ever coached. 70% of the Triple Crown's solid defense is due to Lucio's command.

Why did Mourinho leave?

After winning the championship, Mourinho cried and said goodbye to his players. He won 2 Serie A championships, 1 Italian Cup, 1 Champions League, and 1 Italian Super Cup in 3 years at Inter Milan. He is one of the most successful coaches in the history of Inter Milan.

But Mourinho has already signed a reservation agreement with Real Madrid. Real Madrid president Florentino needs a coach who can defeat Barcelona. Mourinho's Inter Milan eliminated Barcelona proved that he is the best choice. Mourinho officially joined Real Madrid in June 2010, and Inter Milan fans shed tears at the farewell ceremony.

The decline of the Triple Crown Queen

Inter Milan's treble is the pinnacle and the end. Inter Milan failed to remain competitive after Mourinho left. The new coach Benitez was fired after half a season, and the players are getting older one by one. Lucio, Maicon, Stankovic and Figo successively left the team or retired within two or three years.

Inter Milan has fallen into the second or even third position in Serie A since 2011. They only returned to the Serie A championship in 2018, but the Champions League has never returned to the level of the Triple Crown. This process from peak to decline only took one season, making the Triple Crown an eternal memory.

The spiritual legacy of Inter Milan

Fifteen years later, this Inter Milan team is still the most classic example of Mourinho's tactical philosophy. Later, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Chelsea all tried to copy this bus style in the second period of Mourinho, but they did not reach the height of Inter Milan.

What fans remember is not only the championship trophy, but also the scene of Mourinho leaving the game in tears, Milito scoring twice in the final, and the miracle of holding Barcelona with 10 people at Camp Nou. These moments together form the soul of a team, one of the few teams in football history that can be called great.