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INTER MILAN, CONQUERORS OF EUROPE
It was a scrappy game, both teams fighting hard, but in the end Giuseppe Bellusci's first half header proved the winner as Inter Milan triumphed over Arsenal 1-0 to win their 4th UEFA Champions League trophy and their first under manager Giuseppe Bergomi.
Flashback to two years ago; a very young Inter Milan side sat dejected on the Stadio da Luz pitch as their Manchester City counterparts celebrated their penalty kick victory. Bergomi said that day that his Nerazzurri side would return, and now 2 years grown and having made big transfers, they have done so successfully.
Inter had last won the Champions League in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, but after his departure had not been a threat domestically or on the European stage. Giuseppe Bergomi has changed all that, however, having now won 4 Serie A, 4 Coppa Italia, 2 Supercoppa Italiana, 1 European Supercup, 1 Europa League, and now 1 Champions League title.
Inter have historically been a reasonably strong side in Europe and have now won their 4th title, and now move to 6th of all time, tied with Ajax on 4 competition wins. Two of those wins came back when the trophy was still called the European Cup, winning consecutively in 1964 and 1965.
After the match, Giuseppe Bergomi was absolutely beaming. "This is a wonderful achievement for everybody at the club. I don't think anybody expected us to do this but the team believed in themselves and we've accomplished something remarkable."
To add to the occasion, Inter are the first side in the history of the competition to win the trophy on home soil. Almost all of the 80,018 fans sitting in the packed Stadio Giuseppe Meazza were adorned in blue and black and were singing on their beloved Nerazzurri.
"It's something special," said man of the match Giuseppe Bellusci. "This is the greatest moment of my life. I will never forget, and the world will never forget, what we've accomplished here today."
