Inter Milan loved the best season of their 100-plus yr historical past in 2009/10, when supervisor Jose Mourinho led the Nerazzurri to the membership’s first-ever treble.
The achievement was secured when Inter noticed off Bayern Munich 2-0 due to a Diego Milito brace within the Champions League last, however the likelihood to seal their place within the historical past books solely got here after an epic semi-final battle towards a star-packed Barcelona aspect.
Mourinho’s males, led by skipper and membership legend Javier Zanetti, had been in a position to come again from a objective down on the San Siro to assert a 3-1 first-leg benefit, however had been properly conscious of the duty going through them at Camp Nou within the return fixture.
Zanetti particulars how ten-man Inter held off Barcelona
The Camp Nou performed host to the second leg of Inter and Barca’s epic Champions League semi-final in 2010 (Picture credit score: PA)
Zanetti – who made greater than 850 appearances for Inter and was ranked at no.96 in FourFourTwo’s checklist of the game’s best-ever gamers – picks up the story.
“Every week later got here the last word take a look at: the Camp Nou,” he tells FourFourTwo . “You would really feel that Barcelona had been going to attempt to flip the tie round, that each dwelling fan that night time was satisfied they may beat us. The tifo show that their supporters unveiled earlier than kick-off was stunning.
Jose Mourinho getting Pep Guardiola’s ear
“However identical to towards Chelsea , Jose Mourinho stored us all calm. He was satisfied, 3-1 down after the primary match, that Barça wanted a magical night time to beat us – if it occurred, we’d settle for it. Perhaps our opponents had been beneath further strain as a result of the ultimate was on the Bernabeu, however we didn’t take into consideration that. We simply centered on doing our job.
“Within the twenty eighth minute, our problem grew to become big – Thiago Motta was despatched off. I informed the referee {that a} purple card was approach an excessive amount of – Motta didn’t wish to hurt Sergio Busquets , he merely put his arm out to guard the ball.
“After we noticed Busquets exaggerating together with his response, we felt a fantastic injustice had been executed. Out of the blue, it was like climbing Everest: on the Camp Nou, with 10 males, and towards a staff filled with legendary gamers. We needed to give extra than simply soccer – we would have liked character, character and pleasure. That purple card made us mentally sturdy. We gave every thing, we left our souls on the pitch.”
Zanetti credit this Herculean effort to his supervisor and the preparation that Mourinho instilled in his squad.
Zanetti and his Inter aspect would go on to seal the Treble with a win within the Champions League last towards Bayern Munich (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
“It was the most effective defensive efficiency of our careers, however we had been ready for it,” he continues. “That season, Mourinho made us practice a number of instances with 10 males towards 11, to get used to struggling if that scenario occurred. He knew that at some stage we’d need to face this problem, and it occurred in a Champions League semi-finals.
“We’d repeat workout routines with 4 defenders and two midfielders being plagued by eight or 9 gamers. It wasn’t straightforward to shock us. Are you aware why? As a result of the entire strain is on the attacker. Whenever you come up towards an organised block, it’s tough to search out house. That’s what we did in Barcelona.”
