European champions. The sky is black and blue over Madrid. Inter fans, hug each other and celebrate. The dream has come true, the 45-year wait is over. Captain Zanetti, after 15 years, much hardship, and 700 matches, could lift the cup up high. Massimo Moratti's photo with the cup will hang alongside the one of his father Angelo. The 5th of May no longer matters - from now on only the 22nd matters. May 2010: Inter is back at the top in Europe, and with them Italy, three years after Milan's victory in 2007.
It was Inter's night, with their historic hat-trick, but it was also their fans' night - they made the North stand shake when the final whistle sounded. It was "the Prince" Milito's night, with his magnificent match-winning double. At age 30 this is his first great team and his first final: if this is just the debut... It was José Mourinho's night - he wept as he celebrated winning his second Champions League title with two different clubs. Now he can leave if he wants to. He may be arrogant, he may only think about results, but he has done more for Inter in two years than all his predecessors did in 44. If there is a "special" coach in football, he is the one.
The match began slowly, as often happens in finals. Open, flowing finals? Only for teams who don't know what they are doing. Bayern and Inter however knew exactly what they were doing, and initially they played it very tight. The Germans slowed play down with passes among the back four, and when they moved forward they were met with a brick wall. The result was a series of wayward shots from outside the area, a few protests about a possible hand ball in the area by Maicon (16'), and little else. At the other end, Sneijder tried from a free-kick. Then came the goal, and everything changed.
For the whole first half it was Julio Cesar who launched Inter, with long restarts aimed at the strikers. It seemed a self-destructive option, given that it is not one they ever use, but it was not. On 35' his long left-footed clearance was met by Milito's header: his nod on was perfect for Sneijder, as was the return through ball. Demichelis only saw the Prince's heels: he waited for Butt to come out and slotted the ball past him for his 29th goal of the season.
Having scored 29, why not make it 30? 25 minutes into the second half, Milito provided a lesson in technique and ball control on the run: launched on the counter-attack, he headed for Van Buyten, and with a feint he practically sent him sprawling, giving himself room for yet another perfect shot: 2-0, thank you very much.
But there was more to Inter than just Diego. Defensively, Inter were almost perfect. Having taken the lead, they played with the assuredness of a unit that knows how not to concede goals. There was one chink in their armour however, and that was Chivu, who was contstantly troubled by Robben until he went off. But when the Dutch hacker tried to penetrate he found himself facing the three most effective antivirus systems around: Cambiasso, Lucio and Samuel. Access denied. And then there was always the last line of defence, Julio Cesar: he made a great save of Mueller's shot early in the second half, then again on 65' when Robben shot on the turn.
But Inter was not just defence, despite Van Gaal's claims. They knew how to attack at pace, they controlled difficult balls with Sneijder's class, they not only had the overlapping Maicon but their strikers did their job, even though Eto'o was often back with Maicon. And the team was tactically precise, with men always the right distance apart and always ready to help each other. Teamwork, that's what it takes to make dreams come true. Football is a team sport, and today Inter was, and is, the best team in Europe.
