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Inter President Beppe Marotta insists the 5-0 Champions League Final defeat will ‘absolutely not’ affect their future with Simone Inzaghi, but has to admit PSG are aided by an ‘unlimited budget.’
It was a desperately disappointing evening for the Nerazzurri in Munich, as while their 2023 defeat to Manchester City had been a tight affair, this was a crushing 5-0 defeat.
Until this evening, Inter had only ever been trailing in the Champions League for at most 370 seconds, yet they conceded early to Achraf Hakimi here and then fell apart.
Desire Doué bagged a brace before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sprinted clear on goal, with 18-year-old Senny Mayulu to complete the rout.
Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for PSG 5-0 Inter
Marotta acknowledges Inter outclassed
“It was a negative evening where the opponent outclassed us in every area, so we tip our hats to them,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“That must not change our view of the season as a whole, including the run to the Champions League Final. It was a negative performance. We are sorry for this performance and the many fans who came here.”
Only a couple of months ago, Inter players and coach Simone Inzaghi were talking about a potential Treble, yet now they end the season empty-handed.
“It was very difficult to reach this Final, we got there with absolute credit by overcoming opponents like Bayern Munich and Barcelona. We looked fragile this evening, but I want to thank our players and coach, because the 59 games played in all competition show how this squad and club deserve to be on this stage.
“We lost, we congratulate our opponents, and move on.”
Will this crushing defeat change the way Inter will evaluate their decision on whether or not to continue with Inzaghi at the helm, especially considering the reported offer on the table from Al-Hilal?
“Absolutely no change of evaluation. We already said that we would meet with Inzaghi next week, he still has a year on his contract and has proved over the last four years that he absolutely deserves to be here and many of our achievements in this time have been down to him.”
Inter have lost two Champions League Finals in three years, but it is also worth noting they are the last Italian side to actually win the trophy, back in 2010, followed by four Final defeats.
Curiously, Marotta was involved in all four of those, as he was also the director at Juventus when they were beaten at the final hurdle. Is this a reflection of the strength of Serie A sides now?
“Italy is no longer the paradise of football where everyone used to run to. It is considered a stepping stone, with the best players coming through only to be tempted by salaries that we absolutely cannot offer,” confessed Marotta.
“That includes clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, who can work with unlimited budgets. Having said that, we do not want to use that as an alibi. Made in Italy is still a product that can reach the Final, helped with the school of Italian coaching, but obviously there are teams who are significantly more likely to be favourites.”
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