Inter Milan raises hope and ambition in Champions League loss

ISTANBUL (AP) — In the current renaissance for Italian club soccer, Inter Milan’s impressive performance in a losing cause at the Champions League final stood out.

Inter gave Manchester City as many if not more problems than either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich did in the previous two rounds before falling to an unlucky 1-0 loss on Saturday in Istanbul.

Fearless at times against the dominant club team in world soccer, creating chances to have at least taken the final into extra time, Inter deserved more than to join Roma and Fiorentina in completing a hat trick in 11 days of Italian losers in European finals.

Pride and hunger were talked about in the early hours Sunday in the immediate aftermath of the missed opportunity against a Man City team pressured into playing below its best.

“We have many regrets but we must be proud,” coach Simone Inzaghi said. “This final could be the fuel to try again next season.”

Inzaghi’s team also looked capable of chasing down Napoli, the most compelling and admired Serie A champion of recent years, a period that includes Inter’s own 2020-21 title that was its first for 11 years.

“We showed who Inter is tonight,” defender Denzel Dumfries said. “You have to keep your head clear and see the bigger picture.”

The overall picture, however, also includes Inter’s financial health that improved with this Champions League run but still has has worrying symptoms.

The immediate boost is about 100 million euros ($107 million) in prize money from UEFA this season – more than double Inter’s average of 45 million euros ($48 million) across the previous five years. Man City’s average payment from UEFA was 95 million euros ($102 million) in the same period ahead of a Europe-leading sum this season.

Inter had no European soccer in 2017-18 and Italian clubs were hit much harder by lost revenue during the pandemic than the Premier League with its billions in international broadcast rights.

The club’s Chinese owner got a financing deal in 2021 of about $300 million from an American investment fund, and Inter has invited offers from buyers.

Not owning its own stadium, and the uncertain future for San Siro which is shared with AC Milan, also does not help Inter compete with storied rivals in England, Spain and Germany.

Inter reported a 140 million euros ($150 million) loss last season and in September had to pay UEFA 4 million euros ($4.3 million) for failing to meet break-even targets last season. Stricter targets were set by UEFA in the coming years to avoid more deductions.

It was maybe notable after Saturday’s game that Inter chairman Steven Zhang, the 31-year-old scion of the family that owns the Suning corporation in China, talked of trying to build a stronger squad. It is a tough goal to promise.

It is unclear if Romelu Lukaku — sold for $135 million from the 2021 title-winning team to raise money but back on loan from Chelsea — will stay. When Lukaku is not available, Inter has relied on 37-year-old Edin Džeko to partner talisman striker Lautaro Martínez.

Lukaku is “an extraordinary guy,” Zhang said. “He’s under contract at Chelsea, so we’ll have to wait and speak with them to understand his situation.”

Inter’s new shirt sponsor for the final watched worldwide was telling. American streaming network Paramount+ filled the vacancy left by a cryptocurrency firm that reportedly missed $25 million of payments to the club.

The difference between City’s and Inter’s global sponsorship revenue last year was already 371 million euros ($399 million) compared to 90 million euros ($97 million), according to UEFA research published in February.

UEFA also acknowledged “the largest disparity” in club finances is in sponsorship “in particular at the top of the market.”

At least one reward for Inter’s season, and a lure for potential sponsors, is a likely easier path through next season’s Champions League to the knockout rounds.

Inter was in the pot of third-seeded teams last August and expected to land with two heavyweights — Bayern Munich and Barcelona as it turned out, future champions of Germany and Spain.

A 1-0 home win over Barcelona sealed progress to the knockout rounds where it perhaps had earned a smoother road to the final through Porto, Benfica and AC Milan.

Inter has lifted itself into the second-seeded pot for the next group-stage draw on Aug. 31 where only one of top-seeded Bayern, Barcelona or Man City could be waiting. The toughest-looking option among the third seeds is Shakhtar Donetsk.

Three-time European champion Inter is rebuilding that tradition and will have a third-year coach in Inzaghi with proven ability.

Goalkeeper André Onana suggested this Inter team was proving doubters wrong.

“No one backed us but we proved that we are great players and that this is a great club,” Onana said. “If we keep working like this we will be back.”