FCBARCELONA.CAT

17.12.2008 11:05

Inter: one step further under Mourinho

Jordi Clos

After winning two Italian leagues, Inter Milan contracted coach José Mourinho in order to sort out their Champions League form.

Apart from Arsenal and Chelsea, another possible opponent for Barça in the second round of the Champions League is Inter Milan. The last two Scudettos have gone to their star-studded squad and they are always a strong force in European competition. In fact, the Champions League is the one they really want to start going for, and that is why they brought in José Mourinho to get the job done.

From HH to Mourinho

Inter Milan are enjoying one of their best periods ever. The last time they won two leagues in a row was way back in the mid sixties when Helenio Herrera created the ‘Grande Inter’. That side also won the club’s only two European Cups. Having climbed back to the top of Italian football the neroazurri now have their eyes on Europe, which is why they have signed such a high profile manager as ex-Barça employee José Mourinho.

Solid leader of Serie A

In Mourinho’s first year in Milan, where he replaced Mancini last summer, Inter have continued to improve, and are runaway leaders of Serie A, six points ahead of second placed Juventus with 12 wins in 16 games.

But their Champions League form has been less convincing. They unexpectedly came second in their first round group behind Panathinaikos, who won at the Giuseppe Meazza in the second to last game (0-1). It was one of two consecutive defeats in the competition, the other games ending in two wins and two draws.

With Quaresma and Figo

The star of Inter is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the striker having scored ten goals in the league and one in the Champions League. Apart from him, Mourinho’s other big names include Zanetti, Chivu, Vieira, Adriano and two Portuguese players that the Camp Nou is plenty familiar with: Ricardo Quaresma and Luis Figo.