What began as a dream quickly turned into a nightmare for Inter in the final in Munich: Luis Enrique’s team dominated and humiliated Inzaghi’s side.
Any fan of any other Italian club would have gladly traded places with Inter supporters on Saturday morning. By the end of the day, after what may go down as the most lopsided final in the history of Europe’s premier club competition, everyone was relieved not to be in their shoes.
Let’s be honest—no one was going to beat that PSG on Saturday. A flawless machine, brilliantly orchestrated by who may now be considered the best coach in the world. What separates a loss from a disaster is the sheer scale of the collapse, and Inter now goes down in history as the worst-beaten finalist of all time. They conceded five goals, but it easily could have been seven, maybe even eight.
Luis Enrique’s final celebration, dedicated to the memory of his daughter who passed away in 2019 at just 9 years old, brought full emotional closure to a fairy tale—but one written for someone else. Paris gets the happy ending, a perfect conclusion to a dream final in their year of rebuilding, without big-name stars, and even without Mbappé, who had already left for Madrid in pursuit of Champions League glory—cruel irony at its finest.
Let’s be clear though: this PSG wasn’t built solely on tactical brilliance or youthful ambition. The money was still there—in abundance. But this time it was spent on the best young talents, above all Doue, who delivered two goals and an assist in the final—arguably the best individual impact in Champions League final history at just 20 years old.
Inter finish the season with the dreaded Zero Tituli (to quote Mourinho’s infamous term during the 2008–09 season when he was coaching Inter). And the fallout could go far beyond the final whistle: Inzaghi may leave, lured by offers from Saudi clubs, and several players look like they’ve reached the end of their cycle.
The coaching carousel, already in full swing, could soon involve what many considered the strongest team in Serie A—especially because they didn’t win the league.
Milan have already announced Allegri. Roma are on the verge of confirming Gasperini, who just ended a nine-year stint with Atalanta. In a surprise move, De Laurentiis convinced Conte to stay in Naples, while Juventus are now searching for a replacement for Tudor after also parting ways with sporting director Giuntoli. Palladino has left Fiorentina, and Baroni has been dismissed by Lazio. De Rossi and Thiago Motta could return to the fold, and Sarri appears close to a Lazio comeback. And this is just the beginning.
