Demoralised Inzaghi quit Inter Milan due to PSG pasting – Vieri

Former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri believes Simone Inzaghi opted to walk away from the Nerazzurri due to the morale-sapping nature of their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Inzaghi quit San Siro three days after his Inter side were crushed 5-0 by PSG in Munich and immediately flew to Saudi Arabia to sign a lucrative two-year deal with Al Hilal worth a reported £44million.

Although talks with the Pro League side were reportedly already advanced, Vieri believes the final straw was the gulf between his side and the big-spending Parisians.

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PSG pasting took “all his energy away”

He told The Italian Football Podcast: “I think it was because of the result [that Inzaghi left Inter]. I didn’t think that he was going to leave.

“After losing 5-0 I think he said to himself ‘you know what? I have no more energy. After losing 5-0 it took all my energy away.’

“It’s one thing to lose 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, you’re in the game, it’s okay. But 5-0 is a heavy way to lose. I think it just took all his energy away.

“Him and the club spoke and said ‘what should we do?’ And from what I heard they spoke in an easy way.”

It was Inter’s second Champions League final defeat in three years after they went down 1-0 to Manchester City in 2023.

Vieri added: “I think he has done an amazing job in the last four years. Two times in three years playing in the final of the Champions League.

“With the budget that Inter spends… Inter isn’t like Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Manchester City or Bayern. They can spend all the money they want.

“We have to look at €5 million here or €2 million there. So I think they did a phenomenal job.”

You need time to succeed – Vieri

The merry-go-round of coaches in Serie A is in full swing this summer. Inter, AC Milan, Roma, Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio will all start next season with new men at the helm, and Vieri is not convinced that is a sensible model for success.

“I don’t like changing coaches. In fact I think that if a club wants to win, you need time,” he said.

“Even if there is no time for anyone, that is how football is now. Clubs change coaches three-four times every year. They go berserk, everyone.

“But I think to win and to get the players comfortable, that takes years. So, I am sad that he [Inzaghi] left. I think he did an amazing job.

“We won a Scudetto. We could have won this year, a second Scudetto. I think we deserved to win but we missed something.”

Inexperienced Chivu tasked with Inter job

Cristian Chivu is the new man in charge at Inter. The Romanian was previously part of the Inter set-up as coach of the club’s Primavera side before a short stint as boss of Parma last season.

When asked about the 44-year-old, Vieri did not sound entirely convinced it would prove a shrewd move, adding: “A very, very young coach. Never coached in Serie A before, only this year in Parma for a couple of months.

“I think the team is still very strong. Let’s see what he can do. He is young. He is going to have his ideas. Let’s see what happens.”

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