Inter Milan clinched its first Serie A title in years, ending Juventus’ nine-year dominance as Italian champions.
Antonio Conte’s side clinched the trophy with a 2-0 win over Crotone on Saturday, but Atalanta’s 1-1 draw at Sassuolo on Sunday left the Serie A leaders with an unassailable 13-point lead with 4 games remaining.
The three points, thanks to goals from Christian Eriksen and Achraf Hakimi, already ended Juventus’ nine-year winning streak, through Conte himself in 2012 and continued by Max Allegri and Maurizio Sarri last season.
Inter have only twice tasted defeat this season – two 2-1 losses in the Milan derby in October and at Sampdoria in January, the latter followed by an ongoing 18-game unbeaten run which saw them collect 14 wins, 11 of them in a row.
Conte’s side snatched top spot from AC Milan on February 14 and have held it ever since, with a 3-0 triumph over their cross-city rivals in February making them the runaway leaders during the business end of the season.
Juventus were expected to fight for the name again, but Andrea Pirlo has had a torrid season, with his position in next season’s Champions League still up for grabs.
Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan looked like the closest contenders and were top of the table at Christmas, but they failed to keep up with their spectacular early-season form and have now also slipped into a top four dog-fight.
This is Inter’s 19th Scudetto, meaning they have overtaken local rivals AC Milan with 18 titles to become the second most successful club in Serie A history, Juventus with 36 titles. .
Tommaso Fiore from Sky Sports. . .
The much-coveted Scudetto ends the Nerazzurri’s decade-long trophy drought and represents their first league title since 2010 when Jose Mourinho led a side including Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder and Patrick Vieira to a Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble.
Twelve other coaches, including Claudio Ranieri, Walter Mazzarri and Roberto Mancini, took charge of San Siro for the next nine years, but the club languished in Serie A, finishing ninth, failing to reach a first final and enduring a six-year absence. . of the Champions League.
It was Luciano Spalletti who took the club back on the European big stage, but much of the credit has to go to Conte. He made sure that one of Italy’s biggest sleeping giants could finally return to their former glory, instantly leading them to a second-placed finish and their first European final in ten years.
It is true that he arrived with high expectations and was definitely supported in the transfer market, however, he temporarily knew the strengths and weaknesses of the team and controlled to expand a recognizable taste in the game that has marked the successes of his career – based on invented our minds protecting and devastating counterattacks.
It has not been plain sailing though. A drab performance in the derby loss against Milan and draws against Parma and Atalanta brought them as low as seventh in November. To make things worse, Conte suffered a humiliating elimination from the Champions League, finishing bottom in a group with Real Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk – who they even twice failed to score against.
So, given the intensity of the Inter team and the lack of European commitment, the name of Serie A was not only perceived as the main target, but also as a necessity to turn a ruinous season into a successful one. Amazingly, achieving convincing and deserved victories, as wonderful groups do.
Conte remains the architect, but the influence of Romelu Lukaku, Hakimi and Nicolo Barella, Italy’s most productive striker, winger and midfielder, cannot be underestimated. After much frustration, Eriksen also managed to secure a normal starting position and it is appropriate. that his goal in Crotone now designates him as winner of the Scudetto.
Perhaps this could also be the beginning of a change of course in Europe. Next year, Inter will take part in the draw at the organisational level for the Champions League in Pot 1. Therefore, it is now imperative that the club talks about the future with Conte and makes sure that the club continues to grow rather than wither.
“I have not forgotten how a lot of people turned their nose up when we signed Lukaku and said he was overrated,” noted Antonio Conte after the win over Sassuolo. “But I always said that he arrived here with potential and that if he worked hard he could do extraordinary things. Lukaku has made exceptional improvements and can make even more.”
Romelu Lukaku has been a revelation at Inter. With 21 goals this season, he is the team’s most sensible scorer and the key player in ending Juventus’ nine-year dominance in Italy.
For himself, it’s his first league name since his teenage years at Anderlecht and a proven point after his departure from Manchester United. The 27-year-old responded to complaints that focused on his limitations. He did this by getting rid of them.
Read more on Sky Sports Adam Bate on Lukaku’s influence at Inter