ROME – In what has shaped up to be one of the most surprising domestic turnarounds in top-tier Italian soccer this campaign, Inter Milan has positioned itself on the cusp of a long-awaited Serie A championship, even as its recent European performances have been marked by devastating high-profile defeats. The 2024-25 season marks Cristian Chivu’s debut at the helm of the Nerazzurri, and the rookie head coach has already guided the club to not just a near-certain title push but also a spot in the Italian Cup final, putting an unprecedented domestic double within Inter’s reach with just four matches remaining on the league calendar.
If Inter secures three points against Torino this coming weekend, and neither second-place Napoli nor city rival AC Milan claim a victory in their own fixtures, the club will lift the Scudetto weeks before the regular season concludes. This dominant domestic run stands in stark contrast to Inter’s fortunes in continental competition this year: the club was knocked out of the 2024-25 Champions League by unfancied Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, a result that echoed the humiliating 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023-24 Champions League final.
Should Inter go on to claim both the Serie A trophy and the Italian Cup, it will mark the first time the club has earned a domestic double since 2010, when legendary manager José Mourinho led Inter to a historic treble that also included the Champions League title. Fittingly, Chivu was a member of that 2010 squad, and the former defender has rapidly emerged as one of the most promising new coaching talents in Italian soccer, just one year after steering Parma to a successful relegation escape last season.
When pressed about comparisons between his current run and Mourinho’s iconic 2010 treble campaign, Chivu struck a humble tone. “I’m just Cristian. My only responsibility is to these players,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my job in the best manner possible for those who believed in me, for these wonderful players, and I hope to achieve some of our objectives.”
Chivu’s side booked its Italian Cup final spot after a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Como in the semi-finals, where Inter overturned a two-goal deficit to secure victory. The club will face Lazio in the title decider on May 15.
Beyond Inter’s title push, this weekend’s Serie A fixture list holds extra intrigue: a crucial clash between second-place AC Milan and fourth-place Juventus carries far more than just stakes for Champions League qualifying spots. The match will also pit two of the top United States men’s national team players plying their trade in Italy against each other. AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic has endured a notable goal drought stretching back to December across both club and international play, while Weston McKennie has become a core fixture for Juventus following Luciano Spalletti’s appointment as head coach last October. After Sunday’s meeting, the pair will not reunite until the U.S. gathers for training camp ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host.
In pre-match notes for Inter’s weekend trip to Torino, second-choice goalkeeper Josep Martínez has drawn attention for an unorthodox technique he used to great effect during the semi-final win over Como: Martínez pulled off multiple stunning saves using a butterfly positioning method borrowed from ice hockey goaltenders. By dropping to his knees and extending his arms wide to cover more of the goal frame, the backup keeper made high-pressure reflex saves look routine. Despite the standout performance, starting keeper Yann Sommer is still expected to get the nod between the posts for Sunday’s pivotal title clash against Torino.
Inter will still be without one key contributor, however: captain and Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martínez remains sidelined with a lingering muscle injury, a major absences for Chivu’s side as they close out the season.
Off the pitch, authorities in Milan are continuing an investigation into an alleged prostitution ring linked to more than 70 active professional soccer players. Four people have been arrested on charges of operating the illegal escort service, though no players have yet been formally named as targets of the investigation.