“The phone rang,” recounted Giancarlo Inzaghi, father of Inter Milan boss Simone. “It was Romelu Lukaku.”
“My son tried to convince him,” Inzaghi Sr told Gazzetta dello Sport. “‘Here, you are the king. It will be different in London.'”
It was too late. The Belgium striker had decided he was going back to Chelsea, much to coach Inzaghi’s disappointment.
“It was like losing three players in one fell swoop,” he moaned to his father following Lukaku’s move in 2021, only three months after Inzaghi joined Inter.
Inzaghi arrived with hopes of continuing the marvellous work of predecessor Antonio Conte. The aim was to win back-to-back titles but, with big-name departures, including Lukaku, Inter missed out on the Scudetto.
Fast forward to April this year and, rather than challenging at the top of the table after their star striker returned on loan, Inter were sixth.
Three consecutive defeats and a draw at lowly Salernitana had elevated the pressure and Inzaghi seemed exasperated by Lukaku’s profligacy.
By the beginning of April, Lukaku had scored only three league goals, two of which were from the penalty spot. Rumours emanated from every crevice of every tabloid. The striker and Inzaghi don’t see eye to eye. Apparently. Inzaghi was on the brink. Allegedly. Inter were in crisis. Definitely.
Monza were next, a newly promoted team and yet another loss for Inter. Their 11th defeat of the season. The vultures were circling. In life we are taught that nice guys finish last, but that is especially true in football in Italy. Inzaghi was accused of being just that – a nice guy, a company man.
Yet, as Inter now prepare for Saturday’s Champions League final against Manchester City, that was one of the many reasons he was picked for the role.