How does a squad recover from the aftermath of a 5-0 defeat in a Champions League final and a title lost by a single point? For Inter Milan, the answer was not a total overhaul of the roster, but a change in the leadership style and a focus on managing the internal frictions that had begun to erode the group.
The Nerazzurri confirmed their return to the summit on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Parme at San Siro, courtesy of goals from Marcus Thuram in the 46th minute and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the 80th. The result ensures the title is secured, marking the first time the club has validated such a victory in front of its own home crowd in 37 years.
A shift in communication and tactical flexibility
The appointment of Cristian Chivu in June was met with general surprise. Chivu entered the role as a relative novice at this level, having managed only a handful of Serie A matches with Parme before replacing Simone Inzaghi, who departed for Saudi Arabia. While Chivu did not seek to revolutionize the existing style of play or the core squad, he introduced a new way of managing the team’s mentality.
Where Inzaghi was characterized by a certain rigidity in both communication and tactical choices, Chivu was described as less rigid in his approach. This shift proved essential for a group that had faced the difficulty of the 2025 final against Paris SG. The Romanian technician worked with a squad that had been prone to a few internal dissensions, seeking to stabilize the environment.
This transition period was aided by the timing of the Club World Cup in the United States in June. Because the team did not progress beyond the round of 16, Chivu gained the necessary time to align with the club’s leadership and Oaktree, the American ownership group that took control in June 2024. Together, they determined that the squad required a rejuvenation of energy and age.
The resulting personnel shifts saw the arrival of French players Andy Diouf and Ange-Yoan Bonny, while Benjamin Pavard left the club. Chivu maintained the core offensive potency of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, and kept the midfield spine of Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella, but he added a new dimension by integrating 20-year-old Francesco Pio Esposito into the fold.
Mathematical dominance over the chasing pack
The final league table reflects a significant level of domestic superiority. With three matchdays left, Inter holds a 12-point lead over second-place Naples and a 15-point cushion over AC Milan. The gap widens further for Juventus Turin, who sit in fourth place, 17 points adrift of the leaders.
For Juventus, the distance is substantial. The most successful club in Italian history, with 36 titles, has not won the league since 2020. Their struggle this season was punctuated by the October dismissal of Igor Tudor following a poor start.
Inter’s path to 82 points since August was not without early turbulence. The season began with two defeats in the first three matches, sparking fears that the leadership change might have been premature. However, the club pivoted quickly, embarking on a relentless streak from late November through February, where they remained undefeated for 15 consecutive matches, recording 14 wins and one draw.
This surge was powered by the most potent offense in Serie A, with the club netting 81 goals. This attacking efficiency allowed Inter to capitalize on the inconsistency of Naples and AC Milan, effectively ending the title race well before the final whistle of the season.
The weight of history and the lingering European scar
This 21st title is the third for the club in six years, reinforcing a period of sustained competitiveness. For Chivu, the victory is a validation of his transition from a legendary player—part of the 2010 treble-winning squad under Jose Mourinho—to a manager capable of handling the pressures of the San Siro.
Yet, the domestic triumph exists alongside a stark European failure. While the league is secured, the memory of the 2025 collapse remains. The recovery from the Paris SG defeat was a primary objective of the season, but the club’s European campaign this year ended in a different kind of disappointment. In February, Inter was eliminated in the playoffs for the round of 16 by the Norwegian side Bodo-Glimt.
This exit ensures that the current season cannot be viewed as a total redemption in the continental sense, especially for a group that reached the final in both 2023 and 2025. Despite the league dominance, the loss to Bodo-Glimt serves as a reminder that the club’s stability in Italy has not yet translated back into a dominant force in the Champions League.
The pursuit of the double
The focus now shifts to May 13, when Inter will face Lazio Rome in the Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico. A victory there would secure a domestic double, a feat the club has only achieved twice before, in the 2005-06 and 2009-10 seasons.
The squad enters this final with significant momentum, led by captain Lautaro Martinez, who has finished as the top scorer in Serie A with 16 goals. According to reporting by Le360 Sport, the potential for this double provides a final opportunity to cap a season defined by resilience.
The trajectory of the season suggests that the shift away from a rigid coaching structure was the catalyst for this success. By moving toward a less rigid style, the club managed to navigate the difficulties of the previous year and reclaim its position at the top of the Italian game. The victory over Parme was not just a tactical win, but a signal that the internal frictions of the past have been addressed in favor of a more cohesive, rejuvenated unit.
