For Inter Milan, 2025 has been a year of pain and disappointment

Despite reaching the UEFA Champions League final, the Nerazzurri suffered a crushing 0-5 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Domestically, AC Milan repeatedly proved to be a thorn in their side in Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Looking back: At the start of the year, Inter lost 2-3 to AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup; in April, they were again eliminated by Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals; and last season, Inter finished the league with 81 points, just one point behind Napoli, narrowly missing the title. In European competitions, the heavy defeat in the Champions League final and a shocking exit in the Club World Cup round of 16 left fans heartbroken.

This season, Inter leads Serie A by a single point, though they were knocked out of the Super Cup by Bologna. With Serie A increasingly seen as a “retirement league” for former Premier League stars and veterans, and without Simone Inzaghi at the helm, Inter may well be the last symbol of Serie A’s presence on the European stage. With no “€100M players” in Italy, Serie A seems to be slipping from the top five leagues, making Inter’s recent Champions League runs the league’s final moments of glory.