Simone Inzaghi and Inter are parting ways. After exactly four years at the helm of the Nerazzurri club, the Piacenza-born coach has decided to prematurely terminate his contract, which was due to expire in 2026, and accept the pharaonic offer from Al-Hilal.
The decision has matured in the last few hours, as confirmed by the meeting between Inzaghi and Inter’s executives, Marotta and Ausilio, and by the announcement of the coach himself, who will fly to Saudi Arabia this weekend to sign the new contract and officially introduce himself to his new team.
Inzaghi’s departure now opens a new chapter in Inter’s history, ready to leave on June 11 for Los Angeles and in search of a new coach: the hottest names are those of Cesc Fabregas and Roberto De Zerbi, contacted in these hours.
๐ Direct contact with Fabregas: he is in pole position
With Inzaghi’s departure, Inter moves quickly to secure a new coach. The first name on the list is that of Cesc Fabregas: the current coach of Como, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, was directly contacted today by the Nerazzurri management.
Fabregas, a great admirer of Inter and Inzaghi’s work, has often expressed admiration for the Nerazzurri team: “I like everything about Inter, from the structure to the team. It’s not easy to win in Italy, but Inter has a different way of attacking than others,” he recently stated.
This year, the Spaniard has led Como to mid-table, enhancing young talents and imposing a dynamic 4-2-3-1 that has troubled the big teams of Serie A: victories against Napoli, Atalanta, Roma and Fiorentina, draws with Bologna and Lazio, six wins in the last eight games.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabregas will listen to Inter’s proposal but asks for extensive guarantees on the construction of a team in his image and likeness. Como, tied to the coach by an ambitious project, hopes to retain him for at least another year.
Management playing “at home”? Watch out for the exes
If the Spanish coach decides to stay at Como, however, Inter could also turn to two profiles already known to the Nerazzurri environment. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, in fact, the management’s sights are also on Cristian Chivu and Patrick Vieira.
Both have stood out in the last season, successfully taking over the management of Parma and Genoa, respectively, and achieving two applauded salvations. It remains to be seen whether the Frenchman is feasible as he is in negotiation with the Grifone for renewal, while for Chivu, who has coached Inter’s Primavera, it would be a return.
๐ The De Zerbi option: experience and character
Behind Fabregas, the hottest name remains that of Roberto De Zerbi. The current coach of Marseille has brought the French back to the Champions League, finishing second behind PSG.
De Zerbi, former Sassuolo and Brighton, is tied to Marseille by a contract with a clause that could facilitate his transfer. He, too, however, asks for certainty about a project aimed at renewing the squad, according to Sky Sport.
The Brescia-born coach could return to Serie A and also find Luis Henrique, already valued in France. At the helm of Marseille, he used a three-man defense, with a 3-4-2-1 that could initially also be proposed in Nerazzurri, albeit with a different philosophy and development of play compared to Inzaghi’s 3-5-2, the Piacenza-born coach’s trademark.
๐ Imminent choice: the Club World Cup is near
The choice of the new coach will be quick, considering Inter’s imminent departure for the Club World Cup.
Marotta and Ausilio will carefully evaluate the requests of the two candidates to start a new winning cycle, with the hope of writing another important page in the history of the Nerazzurri club.
The departure for the USA is imminent and at Inter it is time for important decisions in a very short time. The goal is to turn the page immediately and rebuild by laying the foundations for a new but always competitive Inter in Italy and Europe.
๐ The Inzaghi cycle: successes and the farewell
Simone Inzaghi’s adventure at Inter ends after four years with trophies and disappointments in the journey together.
Arriving at the Nerazzurri bench in 2021, the former Lazio coach won a Scudetto, two Coppa Italia and three Italian Supercups, leading Inter to play two Champions League finals, the last one lost decisively against PSG by 5-0.
The disappointment for this defeat, combined with the sense of fatigue for a long and stressful cycle, convinced Inzaghi to end his experience in Nerazzurri, as he himself had hinted already after the Champions final: “I don’t know if I will be at the World Cup,” he had said, foreshadowing a future away from Milan.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in ๐ฎ๐น here.
๐ธ PIERO CRUCIATTI – AFP or licensors
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