Italian giants Inter Milan won their first European title in 45 years last night. They also made history by becoming the first Italian club to win a League, Cup and European title treble; in the process, preventing Bayern Munich from doing the same. iSporter Praneet Mhatre analyses the game from the perspective of his favourite club, Real Madrid.
Last night also marked the rise to superstardom of Diego Milito, who, perhaps due to media's fixation with English football and the minimal coverage given to Italian clubs, had remained fairly away from the limelight, in spite of a dream debut season with the Nerazzuri.
However, as crucial as Milito's double strike was, last night's victory had 'Jose Mourinho' written all over it. Inter's victory was a testimony to the tactical supremacy of the 'Special One' and also a fitting farewell to his short stint in Italy during which he conquered everything that a football manager could dream of winning.
Last night was also very interesting, in many ways, for a club that did not even make it to the semi-finals this year! The game was played at Real Madrid's home Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, it involved a host of ex Madrid players and was won by the man who's likely to be at the helm of affairs next season! Here's last night's proceedings from the Galacticos' point of view
The Past
Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder - two amazingly talented footballers from the Netherlands, both tried and rejected by Real Madrid. Both of them had come to the Bernabeu at reasonable costs (at least when compared to the vulgar amounts splurged during this season's transfer window) and had done fairly well for the club (especially when compared to the likes of talismanic Raul Gonzalez). But performance on the pitch hardly impacts a player's future at the Bernabeu; it is often the President's whims, players' market value or sometimes, just the limited roster space that decides whether you get to stay at this illustrious club. And as both Robben and Sneijder would later find out, they were conveniently sold off to make way for bigger superstars (who, by the way, could not win a single piece of silverware this season).
Coming back to last night's game, both Robben and Sneijder were calling the shots on the pitch. Robben was fantastic on the right flank, which was made even more dangerous by a prying Philipp Lahm running up and down the flank. Robben was proving to be a constant threat and was pulling out every magic trick he knew to get past Inter's unyielding defence. Sneijder, on the other hand, wasn't looking to be at his best; particularly with his uni-dimensional approach to the set plays. But as Mourinho likes to point out time and again - You don't win trophies by playing pretty football, you win by being effective. Sneijder held his own when it mattered and played a crucial role in putting Inter ahead before the halfway mark.
The game featured several other ex Galacticos, including Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel. The fact that players deemed 'not good enough' by Madrid were competing for the biggest prize in Europe, whilst Real had nothing to show for the season, was a wake-up call for the Spanish giants. It's time to take a lot more pragmatic approach for the Merengues and the solution is very simple, as we shall see in 'The Future' section!
The Present
Let's face it - Madridistas around the world had huge expectations this year. Millions spent last summer, frantic efforts to bring every in-form player on the face of the earth to the Bernabeu could all be traced to this year's final. Florentino Perez was hoping to conjure the ultimate extravaganza this year. Watching Real lift the European Cup for the tenth time at the Bernabeu would have justified every penny spent by the management throughout the last decade. But it wasn't meant to be. The people entrusted to achieve this goal just weren't right and major reforms are inevitable now.
The Future
Jose Mourinho!
Conclusion
The 2010 Champions League final was special in more ways than one. It was a reward for thousands of Inter supporters, whose loyalty finally paid off. Although Bayern couldn't make it all the way, it was a tribute to the character shown by them throughout the campaign. It was a victory for Jose's tactics, Milito's dedication, Moratti's vision and above all, a victory for Football - with no ugly controversies and no dubious decisions. The season has ended on a perfect note, let's hope the next one turns out to be even better!
Ciao!!
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Praneet Mhatre
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... Finally? I have never doubted his managerial credentials. It's his antics that get on my nerves! |
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