FC Barcelona is set to host Inter Milan on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal tie at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys. The return leg will take place the following week, on May 6, at San Siro. While these clubs have faced each other multiple times in recent years, including in the 2022-23 group stage where Simone Inzaghi`s Inter eliminated Xavi`s side (eventually reaching the final before losing to Manchester City), their most recent meeting in the Champions League semifinals dates back to the memorable 2009-10 season.
That season saw Jose Mourinho`s Inter achieve a historic treble – or Triplete in Italy – securing Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and significantly, their third Champions League trophy, ending a 45-year wait. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola was managing Barcelona, a team enjoying immense success. Guardiola had already led Barcelona to a treble in his debut season (2008-09), winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League with goals from Samuel Eto`o and Lionel Messi in the final. A year later, they had the chance to repeat this extraordinary feat, with the European final set to be held at the stadium of their fierce rivals, Real Madrid`s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. To reach that final and potentially make history, they needed to overcome Inter and Jose Mourinho.
The Champions League semifinal clash itself became legendary. In the first leg in Milan, Inter secured a crucial 3-1 victory. Pedro gave Barcelona an early lead, but Inter responded strongly with goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon, and Diego Milito. The second leg, played on April 28, 2010, at Barcelona`s Camp Nou, is remembered as one of the most iconic matches of the past few decades. However, the simmering rivalry between the two teams, particularly their managers, began even before this pivotal tie.
The Summer of 2009
The summer 2009 transfer window witnessed one of football`s most surprising swap deals. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had grown restless at Inter despite their Serie A win in Mourinho`s first season, sought a move to a club where he could win the Champions League. His agent, Mino Raiola, explored options, and FC Barcelona, looking for a striker, became interested. Barcelona president Joan Laporta and then-Inter owner Massimo Moratti agreed on a deal: Ibrahimovic moved to Guardiola`s Barcelona for approximately $50 million plus the free transfer of Samuel Eto`o to Inter, valuing the total deal at around $70 million. Inter had also considered signing Barcelona midfielder Aljaksandr Hleb, but when that deal didn`t materialize, they shifted their focus and signed Wesley Sneijder from Real Madrid just weeks later. Sneijder proved to be a vital component of Inter`s treble-winning squad.
Mourinho vs. Guardiola Rivalry
While their managerial rivalry intensified during the 2009-10 season, their paths had crossed previously. Mourinho had worked as part of the Barcelona coaching staff under both Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal in the late 1990s, a period when Pep Guardiola was a player at the club. When Guardiola began his senior coaching career at Barcelona in 2008, Mourinho represented a stark contrast in tactical philosophy and mentality. The 2009-10 season saw their verbal sparring heat up, with Mourinho famously stating that winning the Champions League was merely a dream for Inter but an “obsession” for Barcelona and Guardiola. The 2010 campaign arguably showcased the Portuguese coach at his tactical and psychological peak, consistently finding ways to nullify opponents. Their rivalry reached new heights when Mourinho took charge of Real Madrid at the end of the 2009-10 season, becoming the central figure in the intense El Clásico clashes for the following years, though he couldn`t replicate his Inter success at the Bernabeu.
Why Barcelona Faced Travel Challenges in 2010
Travel complications added an unusual dimension to the 2010 semifinal. In April 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland created a vast ash cloud over Europe. This natural event severely disrupted air traffic, as volcanic ash posed a significant risk of damaging aircraft engines. Consequently, Guardiola`s Barcelona squad was unable to fly to Milan for the first leg. Instead, the team was forced to undertake an approximately 1,000-kilometer journey by bus from Barcelona to Milan. This arduous trip took around 14 hours spread over two days, including an overnight stop in Cannes, France, a far-from-ideal preparation for a Champions League semifinal.
Recap of the Second Leg
One week after their 3-1 victory in Milan, Inter traveled to Barcelona holding the advantage, hoping to secure their place in the final despite the overwhelming atmosphere at the Camp Nou, where the home crowd clamored for a “remontada,” or comeback. The atmosphere was electric even before kick-off. Jose Mourinho deliberately walked onto the pitch alone during the pre-match warm-up, drawing loud whistles and jeers from the entire stadium, effectively diverting the crowd`s intensity onto himself and allowing his players to focus. The Camp Nou was indeed epic that night.
From the opening minute of the second leg, FC Barcelona relentlessly pushed Inter deep into their own half, searching for the crucial first goal. Things looked even better for the home side when Thiago Motta received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 28th minute for a foul on Sergio Busquets. Shortly after, Mourinho reportedly said something to Guardiola near the touchline, adding more psychological pressure. Years later, Mourinho revealed he told Guardiola, “Don`t celebrate, it`s not over.” He was correct. Despite Barcelona`s sustained pressure and numerical advantage, Inter`s defense, meticulously organized by Mourinho, proved incredibly resilient. It seemed impossible for Barcelona to score. They finally broke through in the 84th minute with a goal from center back Gerard Pique. Barcelona`s Bojan Krkic thought he had scored a second goal that would send them through, but it was disallowed for a handball by Yaya Toure in the build-up. Inter defended desperately until the final whistle, with even forwards like former Barcelona man Eto`o dropping deep into the defensive line. When the referee blew the final whistle, Mourinho famously sprinted onto the pitch, finger pointing skyward towards the away fans, while many of his players collapsed on the field, overcome with emotion. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes attempted to stop Mourinho`s celebration, foreshadowing the fierce rivalry that would define the coming years, and the club even turned on the sprinklers at the Camp Nou to disrupt Inter`s celebrations. In his post-match interview, Jose Mourinho declared, “This is the best day of my life, better than my first title, better than the Champions League won with Porto, for the fans, for my team. The best day ever.”
Lineups for the Second Leg
Victor Valdes; Gerard Pique, Gabriel Milito, Yaya Toure; Dani Alves, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Keita; Pedro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi.
Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti; Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Dejan Stankovic, Christian Chivu, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto`o, Diego Milito.
