Before meeting FC Porto in the round of 16 return this Tuesday (9:00 p.m.), Simone Inzaghi, the coach of Inter Milan, knows that his place is at stake. In the event of elimination he could be removed from his post after a season that did not live up to expectations.
The penalty could be immediate. Simone Inzaghi is warned, in the event of elimination against Porto this Tuesday (9:00 p.m.), he could be fired by his management. By dint of chaining poor performances in the championship, the pressure is more and more important on his shoulders. Despite the short advantage obtained in the first leg (1-0 victory), Simone Inzaghi comes to Portuguese soil having lost the confidence of the Nerazzurri supporters and perhaps even of his management.
This season, the former Italian striker has yet managed to win a title, winning against neighboring Milan in the Italian Super Cup (3-0). A trophy that did not have the merit of calming Inter supporters. Disappointed by the proposed game and the gap in points with the Neapolitan leader (18 points behind), many of them asked for his departure. After a new underperformance on the lawn of La Spezia, if elimination against Porto there is, the Interist leaders could well show him the way out.
The name of Antonio Conte
It must be said that on the side of Milan, a man is still in the head and in the heart of all the supporters. Just haloed with the title of Italian champion, it was Antonio Conte himself who had decided to slam the door, questioning the management of the club by its leaders. But the current Tottenham manager has left a void that Inzaghi has failed to fill. If the workforce has experienced some changes (including the departure of Lukaku), Inzaghi is criticized for not having won the title last season but above all for being so far from Napoli this year. The comparison with his predecessor has been constant for almost two years and it is clear that Simone does not compete with Antonio Conte.
If he had to deal with the absence of several players during the season (Brozovic, Lukaku) and internal problems (Skriniar), the inconsistent results of Inter Milan cannot be explained. Annoyed, the group of Curva Nord supporters also published a critical message against their coach after the draw against Sampdoria on February 14 (0-0 against the red lantern): “ Mr. Inzaghi is probably no longer capable of motivating players for matches against “small” teams. (…) We are Inter, and it is the adversary who should fear us, we should attack and demonstrate our superiority and instead, we look like a mid-table team that an away draw may suit»
A break in the Champions League
His team, however, has the merit of being present during the big matches, as they showed against Naples and Barcelona in particular. Against the Catalans, Simone Inzaghi was able to find the solutions to cause problems and not to bow, despite having conceded three goals at Camp Nou. And this is one of the other challenges of this team: knowing how to travel as it knows how to receive. This season, Inter Milan is having a surprisingly difficult time performing away from Giuzzeppa Meazza. The Nerazzurri have the ninth record in the championship on away games with a defense that is more than friable (24 of the 30 goals conceded were away).
Simone Inzaghi knows it, this trip to Porto could be the last. But fortunately for him, his players seem to be motivated and transformed when it comes to the Cup. The only Serie A Top 5 team still in contention in the Italian Cup, the winners of the Italian Super Cup last January could well be what is known as a Cup team. And for Massiomo Moratti, the former president of Inter Milan, having Simone Inzaghi as a coach is a big advantage. “Inzaghi knows how to go about direct confrontation. Last year he played at the same level as the real one Liverpool and three months ago he eliminated the FC Barcelona in the group stagesaid Moratti in the Gazzetta dello Sport.
So despite the criticism and rumors about a possible departure, Inzaghi could stay at Inter by having a good European career, securing 2nd place in the championship and winning the Italian Cup. Goals within reach of his team but not yet assured. With his destiny in his hands, it is now up to him to make the end of his team’s season a success.