Inter Milan, after the Champions League final is collapse?

Shock in the 1/8 round of FIFA Club World Cup In the early morning of July 1, Fluminense defeated Inter 2-0 to win a ticket to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

With inconsistent form in the final stages of the 2024/25 season, the departure of coach Simone Inzaghi, plus internal problems revealed recently, fans and experts are questioning whether Inter are facing the risk of collapse.

Downfall

In the early morning of July 1, Inter Milan entered the match against Fluminense at Bank of America Stadium as the favorites. Although they did not play very impressively in the group stage, Inter still topped Group E and were expected to surpass Fluminense.

However, the reality was completely opposite. Fluminense surprised everyone with an early goal in the 3rd minute by German Cano. In the 90+3 minute, Hercules, a substitute player, scored to raise the score to 2-0 for Fluminense, sealing an unexpected victory for the Brazilian representative.

The first major shock of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ Round of 16 has come, and Inter Milan have fallen victim. It has been a challenging two months for Inter Milan, who have started the 2024/25 season strongly, competing for the Serie A title and reaching the Champions League final.

But in the final stages, Inter suffered heavy defeats, including a 0-5 loss to PSG in the Champions League final. This defeat was not only a professional shock but also led to the departure of coach Simone Inzaghi, who moved to lead Al-Hilal on a contract worth 20 million euros/season.

Rumours suggested that Inzaghi had been distracted by negotiations with Al-Hilal before the final, fuelling discontent within the squad. Inzaghi's replacement, coach Cristian Chivu, despite bringing a fresh philosophy and prioritising youth, failed to bring stability to Inter.

The defeat to Fluminense showed that the team lacked ideas, were tired and did not have enough energy to turn the situation around, as Gazzetta commented: “Inter played poorly, lacked speed and ideas, only creating a few chances in the last 15 minutes”.

After the defeat to Fluminense, captain Lautaro Martínez publicly criticised teammate Hakan Çalhanoğlu, causing rifts in the dressing room. According to The Times , Martínez said: “Whoever doesn’t want to stay should leave,” implying that Çalhanoğlu is in talks with Galatasaray to leave Inter this summer.

The defeat to Fluminense was a "slap" to Inter's ambitions.

Coach Chivu later had to speak out to calm the situation, but that did not ease Inter fans' worries. Football Italia feared that "Inter Milan's decline may have begun" after the defeat to Fluminense.

The future is bleak

Inter's current problem is an aging, lifeless squad and the club's worrying financial situation. Except for stars like Denzel Dumfries, Nicolò Barella, Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram, most of Inter's other players are old and have average values compared to the average of European giants.

Inter Milan have the oldest average age in Europe's five major leagues (29.4 years), and their recent success is largely due to coach Simone Inzaghi. The Italian tactician is resourceful and "cut his coat according to his cloth".

Without Simone Inzaghi, Inter will face a harsh reality. ESPN points out that in the context of a dense schedule, Inter's aging squad will be at a huge disadvantage when entering the 2025/26 season. Inter played 19 more games than Napoli in the 2024/25 season, leaving the team "out of breath" at key moments.

The defeat to Fluminense was proof that Inter lacked pace and energy, especially in midfield. Italian media believe that coach Simone Inzaghi decided to leave Inter because the club's board refused to invest heavily in buying more players this summer.

The lack of ambition will also lead to the departure of key players. The defeat to Fluminense is the latest blow to Inter Milan, revealing the Serie A club's problems with fitness, tactics and internal solidarity.

Cristian Chivu seems to be too inexperienced to steer a troubled ship like Inter. And the difficulties for the former Inter player have only just begun.

Source: https://znews.vn/inter-milan-sau-chung-ket-champions-league-la-sup-do-post1565011.html