Under normal circumstances, the offer of taking over a side which had just won the league title would be a no-brainer, but the situation at Inter Milan in the summer was anything but normal.
Inter were on cloud nine on May 3, 2021 when they ended Juventus ’ nine-year dominance by winning the Serie A title, their first for 11 years.
But once the hangovers had faded, the grim reality of the situation had to be addressed. Storm clouds were gathering and could not be ignored.
Just 23 days after securing the title, the mastermind behind it – Antonio Conte – had left the club by mutual consent.
The club’s finances and transfer budget were the primary reasons behind the separation. Inter, who are owned by Chinese company Suning, recorded a loss of £87million in 2020 and desperately needed to raise £68m just to continue functioning.
"We must reduce costs and control risks. This obviously also influences the transfer market strategy. Our different views on the situation led to the separation,” Inter president Steve Zhang told Gazzetta Dello Sport at the time.
The inevitable followed, as star players Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku followed Conte out of the door of the Italian champions for fees of £51m and £97.5m respectively.
It was in this context that Simone Inzaghi took the Inter Milan job. He was inheriting a fine squad which had recent experience of success fresh in their minds.
But he was also stepping into the void created by Conte’s departure and inheriting a squad which had lost its two best players and would not be receiving much investment to refresh it.
Hakimi was replaced by Denzel Dumfries for a fee of around £11m; Lukaku by Edin Dzeko on a free transfer.
Hakan Calhanoglu arrived from rivals AC Milan on a free transfer, while Inter managed to keep hold of stars like Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella and Milan Skriniar.
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Inzaghi had initially decided to sign a new deal with Lazio, but eventually he opted to leave the club where he’d spent five years as manager and 11 years as a player to take on the challenge at Inter.
Fast-forward 265 days and he must be sure he made the right call. Inter host Liverpool in the last-16 of the Champions League this evening from a position of strength.
Inzaghi has his side second in Serie A, a point behind Milan with a game in hand, having lost just two league games all season.
The 45-year-old has picked up where Conte left off, continuing his use of the 3-5-2 system, which he also employed at Lazio, while getting the most from his players.
In many ways Inzaghi is an understated manager. Despite winning the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups with Lazio, as well as returning the club to the Champions League for the first time in 13 seasons before reaching the last-16, he remains under the radar outside of Italy.
His managerial career has mirrored that of his playing career. The younger brother of the great Filippo Inzaghi, who enjoyed an extremely successful time with Juventus and AC Milan, he had a much more modest career.
The tables have turned now, however, with Simone preparing to face Liverpool in the Champions League and Filippo travelling with his club Brescia to face Crotone in Serie B on the same night.
Liverpool will not be taking Inter lightly in the two-legged knockout tie. Comments from a former manager of both clubs has underlined the importance of the work Inzaghi has done over the past nine months.
“Inter have been consistent this season and if they continue like this, they have a big chance to win the Serie A title,” Rafa Benitez told Il Corriere dello Sport this week.
“They have already faced Lazio, Atalanta, Milan and Napoli in the first part of 2022. However, Serie A is a balanced league and Napoli and Milan also have an opportunity.
“Simone Inzaghi is a coach with clear ideas, it was not easy to replace Antonio Conte, who had won the title, but he has done a great job by finding the harmony of the group, obtaining excellent results.”
Inzaghi has stepped out of the shadows and is beginning to embrace the spotlight.
He may have been a sensible if unspectacular appointment during a time of crisis, but he now has the chance to show just how good his side are against Jurgen Klopp’s in-form and full-strength Liverpool.
