The 2010 Champions League final stands as a monumental moment in football history. Inter Milan, representing Italy, achieved their third Champions League title, ending a 45-year wait. This victory was the culmination of Massimo Moratti`s long-term ownership. Taking over in 1995, Moratti, a significant figure in Italian football, aimed to restore Inter to European dominance, mirroring his father Angelo`s success with Helenio Herrera. Despite considerable investment and 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`, etched his name into the club`s history. He led Inter to an unprecedented treble: Champions League, Serie A, and Coppa Italia titles, making them the first Italian team to achieve this feat. Their journey included a 1-0 Coppa Italia victory against AS Roma on May 5, 2010, secured by Diego Milito, and a Serie A title clinched with another 1-0 win against Siena, also thanks to Milito. The season culminated on May 22 in Madrid`s Santiago Bernabeu, where Inter faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
The Path to Madrid
Remarkably, both Inter and Bayern entered the final with treble aspirations. However, their paths to Madrid differed. Bayern had a comfortable group stage against Bordeaux, Juventus, and Maccabi Haifa. Inter`s progression was more precarious, navigating a group with FC Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, and Rubin Kazan, only securing their spot in the final matchday. A dramatic comeback against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine was crucial in avoiding group stage elimination. Later in the tournament, Bayern eliminated Fiorentina, Manchester United, and Lyon in the semi-finals. Inter overcame Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, and in a thrilling semi-final, defeated Pep Guardiola`s FC Barcelona. Inter`s 3-1 first-leg victory in Milan and resilient 1-0 loss at Camp Nou secured their place in the final, ending Barcelona’s reign as champions.
Mourinho instantly became a hero for Inter fans and also for Real Madrid supporters by preventing Barcelona from winning the Champions League final in Madrid. Coincidentally, shortly after the victory, Mourinho chose not to return to Milan for celebrations but remained in Madrid. Days later, he was announced as Real Madrid`s new coach. In a 2019 interview, Mourinho explained his decision, stating that returning to Milan would have made leaving for Real Madrid emotionally too difficult. He chose to avoid those strong emotions.
Bayern Munich, under Louis van Gaal, also had an impressive run. Van Gaal and Mourinho had a prior working relationship at FC Barcelona from 1997 to 2000, where Mourinho was van Gaal`s assistant. Showing respect for his former mentor, Mourinho greeted van Gaal just before kickoff. Inter ultimately won the final 2-0, with both goals scored by Diego Milito.
Key Players in the Final
Both teams faced significant absences. Bayern was without Franck Ribery due to suspension, and Inter missed Thiago Motta, who was red-carded in the semi-final against Barcelona.
Bayern Munich Starting 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 Milan Starting XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Christian Chivu; Estaban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti; Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto`o; Diego Milito.
Aftermath of the Final
Following the celebrations, Inter returned to Milan without Mourinho, who stayed in Madrid to finalize his move to Real Madrid, fulfilling Florentino Perez`s ambition to challenge Barcelona`s dominance. Inter replaced Mourinho with Rafa Benitez, who struggled to maintain the same level of success and was replaced by Leonardo in December, despite winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
Leonardo initially performed well, and in the 2010-11 Champions League round of 16, Inter faced Bayern Munich again, winning 3-2 at the Allianz Arena in a dramatic second leg. However, Inter was surprisingly eliminated by Schalke 04 and finished the 2010-11 season winning the Coppa Italia. Subsequently, Inter entered a period of decline. Moratti stepped down as owner, leading to new ownership under Erick Thohir and later the Suning Group, who eventually guided the team back to Serie A glory in 2021, 11 years after their historic treble season.
For Bayern Munich, the 2010-11 season was disappointing. Van Gaal was sacked after the Champions League defeat, and Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga as Jurgen Klopp`s Borussia Dortmund won the title. Bayern then re-appointed Jupp Heynckes, who in his first season reached the 2011-12 Champions League final in Munich, losing to Chelsea on penalties. The following season, 2012-13, Heynckes led Bayern to a treble, winning the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund in the Wembley final.
