The 2010 Champions League final is etched in football history as a truly remarkable moment. Italian giants Inter Milan secured their third Champions League trophy, ending a 45-year wait. This victory marked the culmination of Massimo Moratti`s ambitious ownership. Taking over in 1995, Moratti, a prominent figure in Italian football, aimed to restore Inter to European glory, reminiscent of his father Angelo`s era with manager Helenio Herrera. Despite significant investments and star signings like Ronaldo in 1997, Champions League success eluded Moratti until he appointed the controversial yet brilliant Jose Mourinho.
In his second and ultimately final season with Inter, Mourinho, known as `The Special One,` achieved legendary status. He guided Inter to an unprecedented treble: Champions League, Serie A, and Coppa Italia titles, making them the first and still the only Italian club to accomplish this feat. Their journey began with a 1-0 Coppa Italia final victory against AS Roma on May 5, 2010, in Rome, thanks to a Diego Milito goal. Milito again proved decisive in the Serie A title race, scoring the winning goal against Siena on the final matchday. This set the stage for the Champions League final on May 22, where Inter faced Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, the climax of an unforgettable 2009-10 season.
The Path to the Final
Interestingly, both Inter and Bayern Munich entered the Madrid final with treble aspirations. However, their routes to the final differed. Bayern enjoyed a comfortable group stage against Bordeaux, Juventus, and Maccabi Haifa, while Inter navigated a tougher group with FC Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, and Rubin Kazan, barely qualifying on the final matchday. A dramatic late comeback against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine was crucial, preventing potential group stage elimination. In the knockout stages, Bayern defeated Fiorentina, Manchester United, and Lyon to reach the semi-finals. Inter overcame Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, and then faced a thrilling semi-final clash against Pep Guardiola`s FC Barcelona. Inter edged out the reigning champions, who had revolutionized football the previous season, winning 3-1 in Milan and narrowly losing 1-0 at Camp Nou in a tense return leg.
Mourinho instantly became a hero for Inter fans and also for Real Madrid supporters, as his Inter team denied FC Barcelona the chance to win the Champions League final in Madrid. Coincidentally, shortly after this triumph, Mourinho chose not to return to Milan for celebrations but remained in Madrid. Days later, he was announced as the new Real Madrid manager. In a 2019 interview, Mourinho explained his decision: “If I had gone back to celebrate in Milan, I wouldn`t have gone to Real Madrid anymore. I chose to escape from emotions.”
Bayern Munich also had an impressive run under Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who had a history with Mourinho from their time together at FC Barcelona (1997-2000), where Mourinho was Van Gaal`s assistant. Showing respect for his former mentor, Mourinho greeted Van Gaal just before kickoff. Inter ultimately defeated Bayern 2-0 in Madrid, with Diego Milito scoring both goals once again.
Key Players in Madrid
Both teams faced significant absences. Bayern Munich missed Franck Ribery due to suspension, while Inter were without Thiago Motta, who was sent off in the semi-final second leg against FC Barcelona.
Bayern Munich XI: Hans-Jörg Butt; Philipp Lahm, Daniel Van Buyten, Martin Demichelis, Holger Badstuber; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Hamit Altıntop, Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller: Ivica Olić.
Inter XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Christian Chivu; Estaban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti; Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto`o; Diego Milito.
The Aftermath
Following the final whistle and celebrations, Inter returned to Milan without Mourinho, who stayed in Madrid to finalize his move to Real Madrid, hired by Florentino Perez to challenge FC Barcelona`s dominance. Inter appointed former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, but he struggled to meet expectations and was replaced in December, despite winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
Leonardo took over as Inter`s coach, starting positively. Intriguingly, Inter and Bayern Munich faced each other again in the 2010-11 Champions League round of 16, where Inter won 3-2 at the Allianz Arena in a dramatic second leg. However, Inter were surprisingly eliminated by Schalke 04 in the next round and finished the 2010-11 season by winning the Coppa Italia. Subsequently, Inter entered a period of struggle, with Moratti stepping down as owner, leading to new ownership under Erick Thohir and later the Suning Group. This new era culminated in a Serie A title in 2021, ending an 11-year drought since the treble season of 2009-10.
For Bayern Munich, the 2010-11 season was disappointing. Van Gaal was sacked after the defeat to Inter, and Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga as Jurgen Klopp`s Borussia Dortmund won the title. Bayern rehired club legend Jupp Heynckes, who led them to the 2011-12 Champions League final in Munich, which they lost to Chelsea on penalties. However, Heynckes achieved the treble in the 2012-13 season, winning the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and the Champions League final against Klopp`s Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Dominic Ashworth