Inter Headed Down Boulevard Of Broken Dreams?
After so many years of Inter being the annual underachiever, the Nerazzurri have had plenty to smile about this season due to their on-field success. A new scandal, though, threatens to take it all away...
It seems that finally Inter have gotten it right and now they are showing the signs of a great squad, like a fine wine that needs years and years before maturing into the real thing.
Inter headed into Round 21 of Serie A 11 points clear of the second place side, proof that they are now seen as un vino vecchio. On the other hand, when there are three top teams in Italy one will always end up a bridesmaid. In addition, Mancini has finally got it right and he is using all of the resources in a meaningful manner. When I watch Inter play,
I see a Juventus-like team, a team that is united and that wants to win. Their defense is solid and their attack is fluid.
For so many years the song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” appeared to sum up Inter’s situation. The train never seemed to arrive on time (typical Italy). Inter lost and articles were written. Explanations for the problem? Players, management, coaching, and - most of all - president Massimo Moratti.
Moratti was a nice man who cared about Inter, but he thought with his heart not with his mind. At first Moratti seemed to be Inter’s savior, as he was ready to spend the cash required to bring in a winning squad, but it never happened.
Then the footballing gods sent a gift in the form of the Calciopoli scandal, and lo and behold the league’s two other perennial contenders, Juve and AC Milan, were caught with their hands in the biscotti jar. It seemed that Inter had been a victim of choice not of circumstance. The journalists then wrote: How many titles for Inter? In the end it was just one, as the blue and black were awarded their first Scudetto in 17 years. Still, all the years of failure by Moratti and his team went away. Finally, the Nerazzurri were the kings. As Tom Petty says, “It’s good to be king, if just for a while.”
Inter, though, have become a great team due to the fact AC Milan have fallen, not due to the points deduction but due to stale coaching and to an old team that has no drive to win. In addition, Milan patron Silvio Berlusconi does not want to invest as he once did and now the Rossoneri are looking for band-aids not for solutions. Ronaldo is not the answer, I believe. Also, the attitude simply is lacking: Pippo Inzaghi said, “The drive to score goals is not there anymore.” What do you expect to happen to Inter’s city rivals?
Also, many say if Juventus were in Serie A this year Inter would be second. I cannot say for that is a philosophical debate, just like the tree debate. If a tree falls does it make a sound? Technically it does, but does it matter? Some journalists deal with historical what ifs, but not me. All I can say is for the present Inter are kings, and they deserve the accolades. The Nerazzurri have broken the record for consecutive Serie A wins, and they appear perfect on all fronts, heading into Round 21 with not only the most points but also with the best offense (44 goals scored) and defense (17 goals surrendered).
As I mentioned a month ago in a previous article, however,
everyone should be wary of a new scandal in Italy. It seems Inter (along with AC Milan) were involved in shady dealings and bad bookkeeping, inflating fees to make it look like Inter could afford them. So far, it appears, eight players switched sides between Inter and AC Milan but no transfer fees were recorded.
All the great progress of this current Inter campaign, therefore, could be elegantly wasted. Is it time to cue up “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” again?
The saying goes: innocent until proven guilty. If, though, Moratti and Inter indeed are guilty, what punishment should/could they get?
Perhaps they will have to attend Luciano Moggi’s lecture on morals…
By Bruno Cardile