The UEFA Champions League Final: A Historic Opportunity
This Saturday, the Allianz Arena in Munich will host the UEFA Champions League final between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The match will determine which team ends a significant drought for their country, either 15 years for Italy or 32 years for France.
Inter Milan: Aiming to End a 15-Year Wait
If Inter Milan secures “La Orejona” (The Golden Trophy), it will mark the end of a 15-year title drought in Italy’s top-tier football league, Serie A. The last time Inter won the Champions League was in the 2009-10 season.
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi commented, “It’s been a long journey, and we’ve reached this point step by step. Everyone remembers the last two matches against Barcelona, but if I go back to the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, they were equally challenging. They are a great team, well-organized and physically strong.”
Inzaghi will be contesting his second Champions League final with Inter, having lost to Manchester City 0-1 in the 2023 final. He acknowledged, “We remember that final as if it were yesterday. We probably deserved to go into overtime. That experience was crucial; it helped us learn a lot about our capabilities at that high level.”
Inter has a rich history in European competitions, including three Champions League titles (1964, 1965, and 2010), but also three final losses (1967, 1972, and 2023). Overall, Italy ranks third in Champions League titles with 12, behind Spain’s 20 and England’s 15.
PSG: Aiming to End a 32-Year Wait
For PSG, winning the Champions League would break a 32-year title drought for French football, as Olympique de Marsella was the last French team to win the competition in 1993. PSG’s technical director, Luis Enrique, expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to win the Champions League: “I believe this team and these players deserve to experience the final. The Parisian fans and the club deserve to win the Champions League, and I am convinced that they will do so within this decade, even if it’s not on May 31st. I’m willing to say this, even though I’m not the coach, to demonstrate that it’s not about personal interest.”
This is only PSG’s second Champions League final, having lost to Bayern Munich 0-1 in 2020. Winning the Champions League would also secure the first triple crown in PSG’s history, as they recently secured the French league and cup titles.
France has six final losses in the Champions League for just one victory, which Marsella achieved 32 years ago. This will be PSG’s main challenge, but key players like Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are motivated to change this narrative.
Historical Context and Financial Implications
Inter Milan versus PSG marks the first time in continental finals history that an Italian club faces a French one since AC Milan’s loss to Olympique de Marsella in 1993.
Champions League Financial Rewards
- Inter Milan’s accumulated amount until the semifinals: 113.31 million euros (MDE).
- PSG’s accumulated amount until the semifinals: 115 MDE
- If Inter wins, they’ll reach: 138.31 MDE
- If PSG wins, they’ll reach: 140 MDE
- The last champion (Real Madrid 2024) accumulated: 139 MDE
Sources: Yahoo Sports and UEFA
