6 tournaments, 0 titles in 2025: A disappointing year for Inter

23/12/2025 07:34:00 SportScoop

Participating in 6 competitions in 2025, from the Italian Super Cup (twice), Serie A, Champions League, Coppa Italia to the FIFA Club World Cup, Inter never once raised a trophy. They went through 12 months as favorites in every tournament, only to end with nothing to show.

The year 2025 started with the agony of a comeback defeat to Milan in the Italian Super Cup final and finished with a penalty shootout loss to Bologna, also in the Super Cup semi-final. From Riyadh to Riyadh, that was the summary of a "wasted" calendar year for Inter. The most excruciating was the 0-5 defeat in the Champions League final, but consecutive losses in major matches dulled their feelings over time.

A troubled 2025

If one word could describe Inter in 2025, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan inadvertently offered a bitter linguistic shift. Early in the year, when Inter was thriving, he called the team "Unplayable," but by the year's end, after the Super Cup defeat, he described Inter as "Inexplicable."

This "inexplicability" lies in the fact that Inter did not appear weaker. They still dominated possession and created numerous chances. However, they suffered from a syndrome Italian experts call "Gentrification." Nerazzurri played too elegantly, overly relying on tactical superiority while forgetting that football demands aggression, toughness, and cunning in the smallest details.

This "gentrification" caused Inter to lose their killer instinct in crucial matches. The statistics are alarming: despite leading Serie A, Inter lost most of the big games this year, especially since the start of the season under new coach Cristian Chivu. From the Champions League to Serie A and the Super Cup, these defeats were not due to being outplayed overall but stemmed from defensive lapses or individual errors.

A prime example of this fragility is Yann Bisseck. The young German center-back has great potential, but in 2025, he became a symbol of foolish individual mistakes. Besides three errors leading to penalties, his occasional lapses worsened the aging issues of the Acerbi-De Vrij pairing. Inter cannot renew their defense when their youngest player consistently makes mistakes. Currently, Inter’s defense ranks only 7th in Serie A, an unacceptable reality for a team aiming for the crown, despite having the league’s strongest attack.

Inter’s first trophyless calendar year since 2020

New year, new Inter?

Although they still have a match against Atalanta on December 28, 2025 is effectively over, and Inter has no time to heal wounds. January 2026 awaits with fierce challenges in both Serie A and the Champions League. Chivu, who still enjoys the board’s trust, understands that he and his players must act immediately to avoid another disappointing year.

The first task is to "ruthlessly" transform the team. Inter needs to reduce pointless flair in exchange for maximum efficiency. The highlight of January will be the crucial clash with Napoli on January 12 at home. This match is vital not only for points as the two teams compete for the title, but winning is the only way for Inter to temporarily soothe the pain of fearing big matches. Before that, away games at Atalanta and a rematch with Bologna in rounds 17 and 18 of Serie A will serve as rehearsals. Both are tough challenges.

Moreover, January is the time for the club to dive into the transfer market to solve squad problems. The defense urgently needs reinforcement. Inter cannot keep relying on aging players or error-prone youngsters. Adding a top-class center-back and a quality backup for the right flank (especially with Dumfries out for three months due to injury) is a must to patch the gaps that cost dearly last year. Targets include Tarek Muharemovic (center-back, Sassuolo), Rafik Eghali (center-back, Verona), and Dodo (full-back, Fiorentina).

If Inter beats Atalanta this weekend, they will enter 2026 atop the Serie A table. That would be a good foundation to erase the forgettable 2025 and aim for trophies. However, they must solve these difficult challenges quickly and accurately; otherwise, the scenario of a trophyless season will not only be a painful memory but a sentence for the future.

Fiorentina has found victory

And it was a resounding 5-1 triumph over Udinese in round 16 of Serie A. Five goals, including a brace from striker Moise Kean, allowed the purple-clad team to release all the frustrations of the first 15 matches of the season, which included 6 draws and 9 losses. Notably, Udinese was the team that defeated reigning champions Napoli 1-0 in the previous round.

This win does not yet lift Fiorentina from the bottom of the table but could be a lifeline for their entire season. They remain 5 points from safety, but time is still on their side. What matters most is restoring morale, maintaining belief, and fighting spirit amid the support of all Italy. No one wants a club with Fiorentina’s tradition and strength to drop to Serie B.

Nguyễn Vinh

Comment (0)