Football Club Internazionale Milano, or simply Inter Milan to the English-speaking nations, is one of the greatest soccer teams of all time.
Since its formation in 1908, Inter Milan has been dominating the premier Italian league, the Serie A, earning numerous accolades along the way.
The team’s impact on modern soccer is simply indisputable, and they show no signs of letting their legacy slip, even for a moment. Ready to take a closer look at one of the teams that make the beautiful game, so, well…beautiful?
Basic Facts
- Founded in 1908.
- Inter Milan is the second most supported soccer team in Italy.
- Since its inception, Inter Milan has never fallen out of the Serie A league, making them one of the most successful and consistent soccer teams of all time.
- Inter is one of two soccer teams representing the same city, Milan, the capital of Lombardy, an administrative region of northwestern Italy. The other team is known as AC Milan, and the two sides share a home stadium.
Home Grounds
The home ground that Inter Milan shares with AC Milan can be found in the San Siro district of the capital, which is, of course, why their stadium is commonly referred to as the San Siro Stadium.
Measuring 105 m (length) x 68 m (width), it has a combined area of 7140 square meters, which is thought to be the optimal pitch size for the professional game.
Featuring GrassMaster hybrid grass created by inserting 20,000,000 7.9-inch polypropylene fibers 7 inches into the soil, the turf of the San Siro is incredibly robust.
Inter Milan have called this infamous pitch home since 1948. Prior to this, AC Milan were the sole occupants of the San Siro, and Inter Milan’s home ground was the Arena Civica located in Palazzina Appiani, a 17-minute drive from the San Siro.
Main Trophies
Inter Milan have had the honor of lifting the coveted Champions League trophy three times, their first in 1964 and their second the very next year on the tournament’s tenth anniversary.
It wasn’t until 2010 that they picked up their third Champions League title after beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final, making them the first Italian side to achieve the “Treble”, having won three trophies in a single season.
Their international success also spans three Europa League wins, two intercontinental cups, and even one FIFA Club World Cup.
Altogether, Inter have won 31 domestic titles, 19 of which were Serie A victories. The others were claimed in the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana, which they have won 7 and 5 times respectively.
Club History
You may be wondering why Milan has two soccer teams. Well, at first, there was only one team, the Milan Cricket and Football Club, but after a feud broke within the club over whether they should accept non-Italian players into the squad, the team split in two.
Those who wanted to exclude other nationalities stayed behind, eventually forming the team we know now as AC Milan. Those who wanted to open the team to all nationalities broke away and formed Football Club Internazionale, now known as Inter Milan.
Inter Milan then went on to win their first championship title in 1910 and a second in 1920. Eight years later, after the National Fascist Party gained power in Italy, Inter were forced to merge with another Italian side, Unione Sportiva Milanese, forming a new team under the name Associazione Sportiva Ambrosiana.
Despite these government-imposed changes, supporters never stopped referring to the team as Inter, and in the early 30s, the club chairman, influenced by shareholder pressure, added Inter to the end of their new title.
In 1932, led by the legendary Giuseppi Miazza, Inter Milan won their first Italian cup, and another championship followed in 1940. Then, with WWII coming to a close, 17 years after they were forced to merge with US Milanese, Inter Milan finally reclaimed their original Internazionale name.
Between 1960 and 67, Inter recruited ex-Barcelona manager, Helenio Herrera, who brought along with him his star midfielder, Luis Suarez. Working together, the pair molded Inter Milan into one of the best teams in Europe, winning the European Cup final against Real Madrid and the Intercontinental Cup final against Independiente in a single year.
Between 1971 and 1991, Inter Milan continued to win league titles as well as one Supercoppa and two of their seven Coppa Italia victories, but their luck was about to run dry.
Between 91 and 2004, besides their three Europa League titles, Inter struggled to stay out of the Serie A’s relegation zone, and in the 98-99 season, failed to qualify for any European tournaments for the first time in a decade.
This unfortunate losing streak continued until 2004 when Roberto Mancini, formerly of Lazio, was appointed head coach. In the 7 years that followed, Inter won numerous league titles and cups, including two Scudettos, the Club World Cup, and in 2008 when Ex-Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, was appointed head coach, another Supercoppa Italiana.
In the 2009-10 season, Inter won the Championship League, The Coppa Italia, and the Serie A league title, an achievement known as the “Treble”. Soon after, Mourinho moved on to Real Madrid and was replaced by Raphael Benitez.
Later that year, they won the Supercoppa Italiana Cup, their fourth trophy of the season, and later still, they snagged the FIFA Club World Cup title after defeating TP Mazembe in the final 3-0.
Unfortunately, this tournament success was not mirrored in their league performance, which led to Benitez’s dismissal and the appointment of Leonardo.
Leonardo’s Inter made a great start, collecting 33 points in 13 games, but despite clinching yet another Coppa Italia Cup, failure in the Champions League quarter-finals, and finishing 6th overall in the Serie A ultimately led to Leonardo’s resignation.
Between 2011 and 2019, just when Inter seemed to be returning to their former glory, they hit another rocky patch. It was a period of unrest both on and off pitch, as ownership shares shifted almost constantly and the board members took on a revolving door approach to managers and head coaches.
It wouldn’t be until 2017 that Inter would finally return to the Champions League after their six-year absence from the tournament, earning manager, Luciano Spalletti, formerly of Roma, an extension on his two-year contract with the club.
Thankfully, after Steve Zhang was appointed president of the club, and Former Juventus manager, Antonio Conte, was brought on board as head coach, Inter’s luck began picking up again. In the 2019-20 season, they finished as runners-up in the Serie A, and they reached the UEFA Europa League final, but unfortunately lost the title to Sevilla, 3-2.
Moving from strength to strength, Inter Milan won the 2020-21 Serie A, their first league title in eleven years, dethroning Juventus and ending their nine-year run of consecutive league wins.
Despite taking the top spot in the Serie A, a disagreement between Conte and the board of directors over transfer players led to his dismissal, with the departure being reported as a mutual decision. In June 2021, The club found their replacement for Conte in the form of Lazio manager, Simone Inzaghi,
Club Timeline
- 1908 – Inter Milan was formed following a disagreement within the Milan Cricket and Football Club over player nationality.
- 1910 – Inter wins their first Serie A championship.
- 1920 – Inter wins their second Serie A league championship.
- 1922 – Avoid relegation by winning two play-off matches.
- 1928 – Fascist government-ordered merger with Union Sportiva Milanese.
- 1929 – Named changed to Associazione Sportiva Ambrosiana.
- 1930 – Inter win third Serie A.
- 1931 – Name amended to Associazione Sportiva Ambrosiana-Inter.
- 1938 – Inter win fourth Serie A
- 1939 – Inter win their first Coppa Italia Cup.
- 1940 – Inter claim their fifth Serie A.
- 1945 – Inter reclaim their original name and move to the San Siro.
- 1953 – Inter win sixth Serie A title.
- 1954 – Inter win seventh Serie A title.
- 1963 – Inter win eighth Serie A title.
- 1964 – Inter claim their first Champions League Cup victory and their first Intercontinental Cup victory.
- 1965 – Inter retain the Champions League and Intercontinental Cups and win their ninth Serie A title.
- 1966 – Inter win their tenth Serie A title.
- 1967 – Club changes their name to FC Internazionale Milano.
- 1971 – Inter win eleventh league title.
- 1978 – Inter win another Coppa Italia title.
- 1980 – 12th league title.
- 1982 – Yet another Coppa Italia title.
- 1989 – First Supercoppa Italia Cup and thirteenth Serie A title.
- 1991 – Inter win their first Europa Cup title.
- 1994 – Second Europa title.
- 1998 – Third Europa title.
- 2005 – Second Supercoppa and a fourth Coppa italia title.
- 2006 – 14th league title, third Supercoppa, and fifth Coppa.
- 2007 – 15th league title.
- 2008 – 16th league title and fourth Supercoppa.
- 2009 – 17th league title.
- 2010 – Inter claim their first Champions League title, win the Club World Cup, their fifth Supercoppa, their sixth Coppa, and their 18th Serie A.
- 2011 – Seventh Coppa Cup.
- 2021 – 19th Serie A victory.
Club Net Worth
- Team Value: $743,000,000
- Revenue: $323,000,000
- Operating Income: $13,000,000
- Debt/Value: 8%
Stadium
Inter Milan’s stadium is known to most as the San Siro, but as of 1980, its official title became the Stadium Giuseppi Meazza, named after the legendary center forward who at certain points in his career played for both Inter and AC Milan.
Construction was started on the San Siro in 1925, and after completion one year hence, an inaugural Inter vs AC Milan game was held.
The initial seated capacity was little over 10,000, but due to subsequent extensions in the late 30s and mid-50s, it has been able to grow alongside the clubs that call it home.
Now one of the largest stadiums in Italy, the San Siro can accommodate 80,018 spectators, and it’s rated as a category 4 stadium by UEFA, meaning it’s suitable for world-class competitions.
Planning for a new San Siro stadium is underway, and once completed, both Inter and AC Milan will adopt it as their home stadium.
Owners
The Chinese company, Suning Holdings Group, owns 68.55% of Inter Milan.
LionRock Capital, a private equity firm, holds the second-largest stake in the club with a share total of 31.05%.
The remaining fractional shares are owned by Pirelli (0.37%) and other miscellaneous shareholders (0.03%).
Best Players
The best Inter Milan (and Italian) player of all time is widely considered to be Giuseppi Meazza; however, Inter Milan is no stranger to world-class players. Over the years it has counted greats such as Ronaldo, Suarez, Zanetti, Bergomi, and Ibrahimović in its ranks.
Their current squad (as of August 2021) is full of both experienced and fresh talent, but their headline-stealing player at the moment is Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.
Scoring 24 league goals in the 2020-21 Serie A season, as well as providing 11 assists, Lukaku is seen as a large part of the driving force behind Inter’s recent league victory, and as such, he was awarded MVP player of the season.
The star of the show in their current midfield line is 24 year old Nicolo Berella, an Italian player worth an estimated 50.21 million euros.
In terms of Inter Milan’s defensive line, there are a couple of great assets, but one player, in particular, stands out — Stefan De Vrij, a Dutch center back with 7 goals and 114 Inter appearances under his belt.
All Time Top Scorer
Inter Milan’s top scorer of all time is Giuseppi Meazza. Throughout his 14 years with the club, he made 408 appearances and scored a record 284 goals, a legacy reinforced by the eponymous Stadium Giuseppi Meazza, in which Inter still plays their games.
Not too far behind Meazza, with a grand total of 209 goals scored for Inter between 1977 and 1988, is Italian forward, Allesandro Antobelli.
The top scorer for Inter Milan in a single top-flight Serie A season is Italian forward, Luigi Cevenini, who managed to put a whopping 35 strikes in the back of the net over the course of the 1913-14 season.
The second-highest single-season scorer is Antonio Valentin Angelillo, yet another Italian striker, who managed to rack up 33 goals in the 1958-59 Serie A.
Meazza comes in joint-third on a single-season basis, who along with Emilio Agradi and Luigi Cevenini (again), scored 30 goals over the course of a single Serie A league.
Captain
Goalkeeper, Samir Handanović, is the current captain of Inter Milan. Known for his imposing stature, lightning-fast reflexes, and acrobatic goal-saving, Handanović is considered a huge asset to the side. His leadership skills and ability to organize the defense are an integral part of Inter’s persisting success.
Handanović inherited the captaincy from Mauro Icardi in 2019 following stalemate talks over Icardi’s contract, and possible transfers.
Goalkeepers
1st Goalkeeper:
- Samir Handanović
- Nationality: Slovenian
Sub Goalkeepers:
- Ionuț Andrei Radu
- Nationality: Romanian
- Alex Cordaz
- Nationality: Italian
- Filip Stankovic
- Nationality: Serbian
- Gabriel Brazão
- Nationality: Brazilian
Defenders
- Stefen De Vrij
- Position: Center Back
- Nationality: Dutch
- Milan Skriniar
- Position: Right Back/Center Back
- Nationality: Slovakian
- Allessandro Bastoni
- Position: Left Back/Center Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Fredrico Demarco
- Position: Full Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Danilo D’Ambrosio
- Position: Full Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Mattio Darmian
- Position: Full Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Andrea Ranocchia
- Position: Center Back
- Nationality: Italian
- Aleksandar Kolarov
- Position: Left Back/Center Back
- Nationality: Serbian
Midfielders
- Matías Vecino
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Uruguayan
- Goals: 12
- Stefano Sensi
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 3
- Christian Erikson
- Position: Attacking Mid
- Nationality: Danish
- Goals: 8
- Valentino Lazaro
- Position: Right Mid
- Nationality: Austrian
- Goals: 0
- Roberto Gagliardini
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 14
- Hakan Calhanoglu
- Position: Attacking Mid
- Nationality: Turkish
- Goals: 32
- Arturo Vidal
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Chilean
- Goals: 2
- Lucien Agoumé
- Position: Defensive Mid
- Nationality: French
- Goals: 0
- Ivan Perišić
- Position: Left Mid
- Nationality: Croatian
- Goals: 45
- Nicolò Barella
- Position: Center Mid
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 7
- Marcello Brozovic
- Position: Defensive Mid
- Nationality: Croatian
- Goals: 24
Strikers
- Romelu Lukaku
- Nationality: Belgian
- Goals: 64
- Alexis Sanchez
- Nationality: Chilean
- Goals: 11
- Facundo Colidio
- Nationality: Argentinian
- Goals: 0
- Andrea Pinamonti
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 1
- Eddie Salcedo
- Nationality: Italian
- Goals: 0
- Lautaro Martĩnez
- Nationality: Argentinian
- Goals: 49
Managers
Head Manager:
- Simone Inzaghi
- Nationality: Italian
Inzaghi was a formidable player in his youth, spending time at a number of successful clubs, including Lazio and Piacenza. Upon retiring from soccer, he took on managerial duties for Lazio’s youth side before progressing to the senior team.
After leading them to victory in both the Coppa Italia Cup and the Supercoppa Italia Cup (twice), he was headhunted by Inter Milan.
Coach
Goalkeeping Coach:
- Adriano Bonaiuti
- Nationality: Italian
Technical Coaches:
- Mario Cecchi
- Nationality: Italian
- Riccardo Rocchini
- Nationality: Italian
- Ferruccio Cerasaro
- Nationality: Italian
Athletic Coach:
- Fabio Ripert
- Nationality: Italian
Rehab Coach:
- Gian Nicola Bisciotti
- Nationality: Italian
Assistant Coach
- Massimiliano Farris
- Nationality: Italian
Farris has served under Inzaghi as an assistant manager ever since his days at Lazio Youth, so the pair are well acquainted with one another.
Home Kit
Inter Milan’s colors are black and blue, normally presented in stripes of some sort. Their 20-21 home jersey made use of blue and black zig-zags, while their current home jersey features patterned light and dark blue stripes with black cuffs and collars.
Away Kit
Not wanting to completely omit their traditional colors, Inter Milan has opted for a white away jersey with a blue and black strip winding sinuously over the back, shoulder, chest, and sides. The stripe is a reference to their nickname, the grass snakes (serpente), an emblem of the house of Visconte of 13th century Milan.
Logo
Inter’s timeless crest is formed by the letters FCIM embossed on a gold background, cuffed in by black, blue, and gold rings. On occasion, only the letters IM are used, and some jerseys feature a golden star just above the crest.
Club Academy
Inter Milan has formed an extensive academy network throughout the world, allowing the soccer stars of the future to learn from the best without leaving their home.
Their academies focus on three fundamental aspects of the beautiful game: soccer skills, health, and education. Inter’s coaches are treated as global ambassadors, and they’re selected directly from the Youth Academy network in Italy, ensuring you get the best possible tutelage, straight from the heart of one of the world’s greatest soccer teams.
League Titles
Serie A – 19 Wins
- 1909-10, 1919-20, 1929-30, 1937-38 1939-40, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1962-63, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1970-71, 1979-80, 1988-89, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2020-21.
Other Titles
Domestic
- Coppa Italia – 7 Wins
- 1938-39, 1977-78, 1981-82, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11.
- Supercoppa Italiana – 5 Wins
- 1989, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010.
European
- Champions League – 3 Wins
- 1964, 1965, 2010.
- Europa League – 3 Wins
- 1990-91, 1993-94, 1997-98.
World
- FIFA Club World Cup
- 2010.
- Intercontinental Cup – 2 Wins
- 1965, 1965
Fun Facts
- Astute observers of the Inter Milan squad will have noticed that no player is ever wearing a number 3 or 4 jersey. The reason is that the club retired them to honor retired players, Giacinto Facchetti (3) and Javier Zanetti (4).
- The first-ever FIFA World Best Footballer of the Year award was given to Inter Milan legend, Lothar Matthaus, in 1991.
- Both Inter Milan players and fans are known as the Nerazzurri, which means blue and black.
- Historically, supporters of Inter Milan were referred to as “Bauscia”, a Milanese word meaning braggart, as Inter was thought of as a bourgeois soccer team. AC Milan supporters were known as “Casciavit”, which translates to screwdriver, referring to the team’s working-class ties.