Simone Inzaghi has guided Inter Milan to a second UEFA Champions League final in just three years, firmly re-establishing the Italian outfit as a major force in European football.
What makes this achievement particularly impressive is that Inzaghi has done so without the financial firepower enjoyed by many of Europe’s elite clubs. Instead, he has relied on tactical acumen, smart recruitment, and a clear footballing identity to build a well-coached, high-performing team.
Let’s delve into Inzaghi’s journey at San Siro and how he has transformed the Nerazzurri into one of Europe’s most formidable sides.
The road so far
Inzaghi joined Inter in May 2021 following the departure of Antonio Conte, who left days after winning the Scudetto amidst a major financial crisis. Prior to joining Inter, Inzaghi had spent five years at Lazio, whom he also represented as a player.
At Lazio, Inzaghi rose through the managerial ranks, making his move from the youth teams to the senior team in 2016. In his first season with the senior team, he delivered them a fifth-place finish and took them to the Coppa Italia final, which they lost to Juventus. He left Lazio in 2021 after winning one Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana, having also guided the Biancocelesti to UCL qualification in 2020.
When Inzaghi arrived at Inter, he faced an exodus of crucial players like Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, who were sold to generate some much-needed funds. However, with the help of the recruitment team, led by Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta, Inzaghi received bargain recruits and started to impose his distinct style of play on the team. Inter couldn’t afford massive signings, but Inzaghi hardly complained. The team finished second in his first season and won both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana.
In the 2022/23 season, Inter again lacked the pace to win the Scudetto but performed well in cup competitions. Inzaghi’s biggest achievement, however, was guiding them to their first UCL final in 13 years, where they lost narrowly to Manchester City. Still, they were back rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite—that too with much less investment.
Known for being a cup-winning coach, Inzaghi’s focus shifted to proving his credentials in the Serie A for the 2023/24 season, which elevated him to coaching stardom as Inter strolled to the league title in style, finishing top of the table with 94 points, 19 points clear of arch-rivals AC Milan in second, and having registered 29 wins, seven draws, and just two losses in the entire season. They also boasted the best defence in the league, having conceded only 22 goals, while Lautaro Martínez led the attack with 24 goals and six assists in the league.
Style of play and tactics
Inzaghi prefers a 3-5-2 formation—three defenders in the backline with wingbacks instead of traditional fullbacks, two forward players with a creative midfielder just behind them, and two midfielders forming a double pivot in the middle. Out of possession, the formation becomes 5-3-2, with the wingbacks tracking back to defend. This type of setup requires athletic ball-playing centre-backs. As needed, they can either stay back or move up the pitch, rotating with the midfielders to form a 4-3-3 formation as well.
Inzaghi’s first-choice back three features Alessandro Bastoni (left), Francesco Acerbi (centre), and Matteo Darmian (right), all of whom have the licence to move in forward positions with the ball depending on the free space ahead. Wide CBs Bastoni and Darmian usually make the forward runs, while Acerbi stays back.
The midfield pivot players usually stays deep, with the lone attacking midfielder in front of them. However, one of the pivot players can also move forward alongside the attacking midfielder, as per requirement. Inzaghi’s usual setup sees Nicolò Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan playing in forward positions, with Hakan Çalhanoglu acting as a deep-lying playmaker.
The wingbacks act as wide midfielders for the most part, demonstrating more attributes of a winger than those of a traditional fullback. They’re are expected to make forward runs and contribute in the final third. However, they also need to track back and defend alongside the centre-backs. This requires players who are not only fast and strong but also creative, industrious, and defensively reliable. Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries are Inzaghi’s go-to wingbacks, and while their defensive numbers aren’t exceptional, they consistently get the job done.
Coming to the forwards, the two attacking players are expected to stay high up the pitch. Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram form an interesting combination up top to provide strength, pace, and clinical finishing, which has resulted in Inter getting goals in abundance. However, due to their unpredictable playing patterns and dynamic movements, even the wingbacks and defenders frequently contribute with assists and crucial goals.
This kind of setup isn’t easy to execute and requires versatile players, which brings us to the next crucial aspect of Inter’s plan: identifying the right type of players and getting them on board.
Smart recruitment policy and utilising squad potential
When Inzaghi walked through the doors, Inter were a financial mess. However, with support from Beppe Marotta, he made shrewd signings in the likes of Denzel Dumfries, Edin Džeko, Marcus Thuram, Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, and Yann Sommer. On their own, most of these players aren’t world-beaters, but they fit their manager’s style of play to a tee and have grown as a unit to form one of the most feared teams in Europe.
Getting players to perform as a team instead of a group of talented individuals is the hallmark of a great manager. Coaching isn’t just about tactics—it’s also about developing and improving players. Inzaghi has brought the best out of most of his charges. While Martínez, Bastoni, and Barella are the stars in his squad, players like Dumfries, Dimarco, and Çalhanoglu have grown massively. Sommer, meanwhile, has transformed from a bench option at Bayern Munich to one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. Playing to his players’ strengths has been one of the key reasons for Inzaghi’s success at Inter.
Inter have reached this year’s Champions League final by beating Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in a two-legged affair that will be remembered as one of the greatest ever UCL semi-final ties. Known for their defence-first style of play, Inter outplayed Barça by exploiting their defensive high line to score freely in both games, though defensively they were not as solid as expected.
Inzaghi and his team are one step away from European glory. Having come close two years ago, they will want to go all the way this time around and bring the Champions League trophy back to San Siro after 15 years. They narrowly lost last time out, but now they possess the experience to cross the final frontier.
Conclusion
Regardless of the outcome, Simone Inzaghi has worked wonders at Inter Milan despite financial constraints, proving that building a successful team doesn’t always require massive spending.
The 49-year-old has demonstrated that success can be achieved by spending within your means, applying intelligent tactics, and fostering a collective determination to exceed individual limits on the pitch.
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