The one that just ended will always be remembered as the season in which the key pieces of the 2010 treble (the only treble in Italian football as a matter of fact) left the club: first Moratti, then Branca, finally Samuel, Cambiasso, El Principe Milito and the captain of many battles Javier Zanetti. Some of these men will be missed, others won’t (cough... Marco Branca... cough), but in any case their farewells came at the right time, and in the right way. The only player that could have gotten an extension is Cambiasso, but his age and his late performances probably did not justify that kind of investment. Inter decided to start a new chapter of its history.

Results. The initial goal was to qualify for the Europa League, and as sad as that may sound for a team that won everything only four years ago, the mission was accomplished. The way in which it was accomplished is a totally different story: inconsistent performances, inconsistent results. The beginning of the season was very promising, then came the change of ownership and the “one thousand and one excuses” by Mr. Mazzarri. In the end, though, he delivered and nothing can be said against him. Well something can be said, about how he played the first half of the season with just one forward and eleven players behind the ball, or about how he did not play the return derby, or how he managed Inter’s youth. But this is a different story.

Top player. Ricky Alvarez could have been a real candidate, had he maintained the level of the first few games. Unfortunately, he was back to last year’s (poor) level too soon. The key player for Inter was once again Rodrigo Palacio: 37 apps (he missed the last, pointless game vs. Chievo due to a suspension), 17 goals and seven assists. At 32 he represents the present and the near future of Inter.

Flop player. No doubt about this one: Fredy Guarin. He has the skills and the feet to be a star, but he probably lacks the intangibles. Frequently distracted, rarely fully committed on the pitch, he was more often than not a defensive liability, with his mistakes that cost the team several goals. The “Juve incident” in January didn’t help his cause (neither did his statements…), and he never got back his place in the starting lineup. Inter probably hope in an exploit during the World Cup in order to monetize from his sale as much as possible.

Best moment. The key moment was a tad longer than a moment. It was a few months long, that is the change of ownership from Moratti to Erick Thohir. The negotiation probably had a negative effect on the team, but the outcome of it will hopefully have an extremely positive effect in the long-run. No one is to be blamed: it was a necessary step for a club that finally has a chance of becoming a real multinational, rather than a local, family owned boutique.

What do they need for the next season. Lots of Players. Young players. Possibly young, good players, to play alongside Juan Jesus, Kovačić and Icardi, the three pillars of the future Inter. Inter now has a new owner with a vision and a mission. He wants to make money out of the team. Massimo Moratti wanted to win. However, Moratti wanted to win so badly, that he spent almost as much as Liberia’s GDP in less than 20 years. Okay, Liberia might not be an economic superpower, but 1.3 billion euros are a LOT of money. His management wasn’t sustainable. Thohir wants to transform Inter into a money machine, and money brings players. More money brings better players, and finally this will bring victories. The one thing that Thohir did, is to be transparent with the fans. No wonder he’s a communication man: the fans now know that Inter will have a young roster (26.5 years old- yes he specified the point five as well), and that next year’s goal won’t be the Scudetto. In his 20 years, Moratti never started the season by saying “we’re not good enough to win” (despite being “not good enough” many times). Good or bad, it will depend on how the fans will react. My prediction is that this was a smart move by the new prez: he took away pressure from the team.

One final doubt: is Mazzarri the right man to lead a young group of players? Probably not, and I’m convinced that Thohir knows that. It was Branca who brought him in, and Branca is not in his place any more. Thohir repeated that Mazzarri would have been Inter’s coach next year over and over again, but last week he also specified that he couldn’t afford to pay three coaches (Stramaccioni, Mazzarri and a new coach). There were talks about a possible contract extension for Mazzarri. Should that not happen (my prediction is that it won’t), it will be another smart move by the president, in order to keep financial flexibility for 2015, when he will find the proper leader for this team.

2013-2014 season analysis: Roma | Napoli | Fiorentina | Milan

 

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