Inter Milan’s head coach, Simone Inzaghi, said that his team was unfortunate to lose the Champions League final on Saturday after suffering a tight 1-0 loss against overwhelming favorites Manchester City at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. Manchester City won the match by a score of 1-0.
Inzaghi’s comments came after the match, which was determined by a single goal scored by Rodri in the second half of the championship match. “We do have regrets because defeat is the worst thing in sport but I have to congratulate my lads,” Inzaghi stated.
They are experiencing a great deal of dissatisfaction, yet they have every reason to be proud of the manner that they performed.
“We didn’t deserve to lose. We competed against a superior squad, without a doubt, but Inter also turned forth a strong performance in the final.”
Unexpectedly, the Italian team advanced to the finals, marking their return to the competition for the first time since Jose Mourinho led them to victory in 2010.
However, they were able to hold their own for long stretches of the game and came agonizingly close to tying the score after going down, first when Federico Dimarco’s header struck the bar, and then when replacement Romelu Lukaku was stopped by goalkeeper Ederson from close range late in the match. Despite falling behind, they were able to hold their own for large portions of the match.
We performed at the same level as Manchester City. We are really disheartened, but I stand with what I said yesterday (Friday): I would not trade any of my players for anybody else, and everyone witnessed why I made that statement today,” Inzaghi said.
Both the Italian Super Cup and the Coppa Italia were awarded to Inter as their respective trophies at the conclusion of the season.
They also finished third in Serie A, which ensured that they would participate in the Champions League the next year.
“The team has proven that it is up to playing in this competition over the last three months when everyone has been available, and we can have our say in it,” Inzaghi continued. “The team has demonstrated that it is capable of having a say in it.”