Having lost both matches to Norwegian club Budø-Glimt in the UEFA Champions League playoffs, Inter unexpectedly withdrew early from the competition and was heavily criticized in Italy. There were high hopes for the Milanese, and many even saw them as one of the teams that would reach the final. But the reality turned out to be completely different.
After losing the first clash in cold Norway with a score of 1:3, Inter was expected to improve the situation at home and at least show serious struggle for a comeback. However, even at Giuseppe Meazza, the scenario didn't change in Milan's favor - on the contrary, Budø-Glimt once again humiliated his opponent with order, discipline, and composure.
Inter had many painful moments in the match. Jens-Petter Heuge opened the scoring in the 58th minute after a foul by Manuel Akanji. This goal put the hosts under even greater pressure. In the 72nd minute, Hoqon Even defeated Ian Sommer for the second time, further dampening Inter's hopes.
In the remaining time, Alessandro Bastoni reduced the deficit, but this goal served only for statistics. Following the results of two matches, the Norwegians secured a 5-2 aggregate victory and qualified for the next stage in a completely fitting way.
After the match, Inter captain Nicolo Barella tried to defend the team. He admitted that it was no coincidence that the opponent had won both games, but he said that the team was punished more because of their own mistakes.
"Budø-Glimt won both games, so they deserve to advance to the next stage. In reality, they didn't cause us much trouble; we conceded a goal due to individual errors. We wanted to compete in all tournaments, but they played better," Barella said.
Head coach Christian Kivu also gave in to the opponent. According to him, Inter tried all possible options, but today the opponent prevailed in terms of intensity, tempo, and organization.
- We tried everything against a very well-organized team. "Unfortunately, today we encountered a team much more dynamic than us, and we must congratulate them," said Kivu.
After this defeat, the Italian press began to issue alarming signals. Many are asking whether the country's football is facing a crisis. The reigning champions, Napoli, also failed to qualify for the Champions League general stage. Juventus, having lost to Galatasaray 2-5 in the first leg of the playoffs, is in a situation where they are almost in need of a miracle before the second leg.
Atalanta also lost 0-2 to Borussia Dortmund in their first match, and their task will not be easy in the return clash in Bergamo. That is, Serie A giants are struggling consecutively, and this seems like a general trend rather than a club problem.
In short, Inter's collapse was not just a single team's defeat, but a painful call to action in Italian football that needed serious consideration. Now, the Milanese club's European page is closed, and all attention will be focused on domestic competitions. But this painful statement will undoubtedly remain under discussion for a long time.
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