Between the brilliant start and the joyous end, Interesti have had to endure some lacklustre display and dire performances from their team. But all that can be forgiven, as only one thing matters now, Inter are in the Champions League for the first time in 6 seasons. Indeed, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and this has brought a glimmer of hope for better things to come. For 78 minutes, the mission seemed to be in jeopardy as Inter were down by 2-1. Their hopes of playing in the UCL hanged on a thread but in the space of 4 minutes, Inter moved from Europa League to champions league as Stefan De Vrij(who has signed a contract with Inter for next season) gave away a rather reckless penalty which Icardi slotted home for the equaliser . Soon after, Matias Vecino scored the all important goal that secured the UCL spot for Inter. Inter started the season well and for a 8-week period between September and November, they flirted with the top spots. A dip in form of key players such as Perisic and Icardi, followed by the subsequent injury struggles saw Inter go through a bad spell that saw them drop to 6th on the table. However, Icardi’s return with 10 games to go saw him lead the charge and prepare his side for the run-in. At the end, Inter succeeded and are back in Europe’s biggest competition, where they belong.
Icardi
Mauro Icardi scored his 100th Inter Milan goal on Sunday, his 29th league goal in 34.starts this season. He has indeed led the Inter charge this season and has been a true captain in this remarkable season. Now, the great task for the Nerazurri bosses is to convince this player to believe in the project ahead amidst interest from Europe’s big names. This has been his best season thus far…… And oh, it will be a rather stupid decision to not take him to Russia.
Chelsea win FA Cup
Eden Hazard’s penalty midway into the first half was enough to ensure Chelsea win their 8th FA Cup trophy. The win ensures Chelsea end a disappointing season with some silverware and also get one over their fiercest rivals, Manchester United and former manager Jose Mourinho. United struggled to trouble the Chelsea backline despite having a good share of possesion. Antonio Conte’s men set up in a 3-5-2 formation to counter United’s 4-3-3. The game was evenly contested in the opening 20 minutes with both sides having to be content with half chance and no real sight at goal. The defining moment came in the 22nd minute when Phil Jones brought Hazard down in the United box for a penalty. Hazard made no mistake from the spot and scored what will turn out to be the game winner. Chelsea’s 3 man central midfield worked tirelessly to contain United’s attack and when they did get past them( a few times to be fair) , Chelsea’s defence remained resolute and disciplined. Not allowing anything sight of goal to the red devils. There are several questions to be answered for United’s performance however, after a poor display in the final left a lot to be desired and has left many fans and faithfuls questioning the manager and the quality of some key players. They might have finished second on 81 points( a tally that would have won them the title 2 seasons ago) . The improvement in results is clear but the football says otherwise. For a manager that has been result driven all his life, Jose Mourinho has once again delivered in securing an improvement in results to the club. The danger with his style however is that, when the results stop coming, he will have very few straws to clutch. But until then, the manager has delivered a season of great improvement in results and moved the team from 6th to 2nd and will hold on to that but you will be kidding yourself to think Manchester United is anywhere close to ruling English football again.
Arterta to Arsenal?
Mikel Arteta is set to be Arsene Wenger’s replacement at Arsenal. The 36- year old Spaniard has turned out to be the front-runner for the vacant post as Arsenal brought Arsene Wenger’s reign to an end. Not a fan’s favorite but Arterta looks to have had many admirers at the Emirates with his 2-year spell as Pep Guardiola’s assistant earning him lots of praise. Don’t get me wrong, I am less enthused about the whole appointment and see it as nothing more than a very big risk with Arteta taking over the job, having not managed at the top level and with zero experience. Similarities have been drawn with this being a similar path Barcelona took some 9 years ago when they appointed Pep Guardiola as first team coach. That turned out to be a masterstroke, but it is worth noting that this Arsenal side is in a poorer state than Barcelona were in 2008 and in need of a massive player overhaul and rebuilding exercise. Arteta may be a massive tactician but whether he is the man to be stern and see this major overhaul is what is in question. Whether this is turns out to be a brave decision or a stupid one, we live to see.
Farewell Legends
Fernando Torres, Gianlugui Buffon and Andres Iniesta played their final games for Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona respectively. Emotions were in the air as these three legends of the game called time on their career at their current clubs. All three bow out as legends in their own right and will forever be remembered as cult heroes.
The Green Turf 