Can King of the Cups help Inter lift European crown?
The Guardian|June 09, 2023
Manager Simone Inzaghi has form in knockout games and is ready for the Champions League final against City
Nicky Bandini
Can King of the Cups help Inter lift European crown?

2010 The last time Inter won the Champions League. José Mourinho's side defeated Bayern Munich 2-0

The bar for success has always been set impossibly high for Simone Inzaghi. His older brother, Filippo, was a prolific goalscorer who won a World Cup with Italy and two Champions Leagues at Milan. Fans renamed him even before those triumphs as "Superpippo", a real-life comic book hero.

But Simone also achieved things as a player few others have. He helped Lazio win one of two Serie A titles in the club's history and was the second man to score four goals in a Champions League game. Filippo believes only injuries stopped his sibling from surpassing him "because he had better technical gifts than I did". Yet Simone, too, was defined by a nickname bestowed on him: "Inzaghino", the "Little Inzaghi".

Seven years into his management career, he has finally carved out his own brand. These days, Simone is the "Re di Coppe" - "King of the Cups". At Lazio, he lifted the Coppa Italia once and the SuperCoppa Italiana twice. Since joining Internazionale in 2021, he has won both editions of those competitions and now taken his team to a Champions League final.

"Of course, I like this reputation," said Inzaghi. "I've had the fortune to work with important teams at Inter and Lazio, to have important players. In decisive games we've always managed to play well, to look after both phases - defence and attack - in the best way."

This story is from the June 09, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the June 09, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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