Champions League, Inter and Milan in the quarterfinals. And now Naples…

And now, Naples. Then it will be glory, pride, history: Italy hasn’t taken three teams to the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2006, seventeen years ago, and this time we’re really close after Inter followed Milan by catapulting themselves into the top eight of the Europe. Inzaghi like Pioli: he qualified thanks to a 0-0 away draw after winning 1-0 at the San Siro. Some will say that we are back to being the catenacciari we used to be and in fact we never concede a goal (we haven’t conceded even one in the five round of 16 matches played so far). In reality, we have seen teams who defended themselves with organization and heart, lucidity and tenacity, forced to cover themselves also due to the qualities of their opponents. Of course, there was some great suffering, there were difficult moments, there was also a help from luck (incredible what happened in front of Onana during injury time, between saves on the line and posts). Milan and Inter, however, left the houses of Tottenham and Porto undefeated without stealing anything, despite the fears on the eve. And then knowing how to protect yourself, avoiding cashing in goals, is not dishonor but merit.

Cup coach

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Inzaghi led Inter to the quarter-finals of the Champions League twelve years after the last time. He confirmed himself as a cup animal: in direct confrontation, inside or outside, he almost never makes mistakes, contrary to what happens in the league. Evidently Simone is a man of road racing, not from Grand Tours, from Milan-San Remo and not from the Giro d’Italia. But the weight is obviously different if the classic in question is the Champions League rather than the Italian Cup or the Italian Super Cup. Now Inter can look ahead with renewed confidence: they gave up the fight for the Scudetto too early, but what can happen to them in Europe from here on out is fascinating. Because now no goal is precluded to anyone. And let’s not forget that Friday’s draw allows for head-to-head matches between teams from the same country. Imagine the significance of a double derby in Milan – the only city with two teams in the top eight on the continent – in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Blue mission

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And now, Napoli. The road to qualification for Spalletti seems open, indeed very open after the 2-0 win in Frankfurt, yet there isn’t a single moment in which the coach doesn’t preach prudence, attention, humility. Normal and rightly so, even if it seems really difficult that the qualification of the masters of Serie A can be questioned by Eintracht. The Azzurri are decidedly stronger than their opponents, they are in much better form, they have those two goals ahead and a whole population ready to push them over the obstacle. And then they have shown over and over again, during the season, that they don’t have the defects that usually emerge even in dominating teams: no distractions, no presumptions and not even some physical decline which would even be understandable considering the number of commitments and the performance intensity.

The “ex-rich”

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It is clear that there are pitfalls: emotional, because new sensations have to be managed for most of the Azzurri; technical, because the Germans aren’t as ugly as they seemed (and as Napoli made it appear) in the first leg. Enough to not take anything for granted. And now, Napoli. To complete the work, to invade the Champions League as we were capable of doing about twenty years ago. But when we were rich: the richest. Being able to bring three teams to the quarterfinals in this difficult and poor era for our football would be an even bigger undertaking than it was back then: less money, fewer champions, extraordinary results in any case. Because sometimes football is also a matter of ideas. And we have had some good, very good ones this season. Or even brilliant ones, like those of Napoli. The only one missing, for now.