FC Internazionale

The history of FC Internazionale Milano is a turbulent one, with many highs and some lows along the way. The club was founded in 1908, following a breakaway from its parent club AC Milan. It is commonly believed that the dispute was about Milan focusing exclusively on Italian players. As per the wishes of its founders, the new club was named Internazionale, thus signaling it was open to players of all nationalities.

Basic facts

Founded: 1908
Country: Italy
City: Milan

Home grounds

Arena Civica (1908-1947)
San Siro (1947-)

Main trophies

Italian Football Championship/Serie A: 19
Coppa Italia: 8
European Cup/Champions League: 3
UEFA Cup: 3

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Italian Football Championship: 1909–10, 1919–20
Serie A: 1929–30, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1979–80, 1988–89, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
Coppa Italia: 1938–39, 1977–78, 1981–82, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
European Cup: 1963–64, 1964–65
UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
UEFA Cup: 1990–91, 1993–94, 1997–98

Prominent players

Giuseppe Meazza, Lennart Skoglund, Antonio Valentín Angelillo, Sandro Mazzola, Giacinto Facchetti, Jair da Costa, Luis Suárez, Roberto Boninsegna, Alessandro Altobelli, Walter Zenga, Lothar Matthäus, Andreas Brehme, Jürgen Klinsmann, Ronaldo, Hernán Crespo, Javier Zanetti, Christian Vieri, Youri Djorkaeff, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Diego Milito

Club records

Most games played: Javier Zanetti (858)
Top goalscorer: Giuseppe Meazza (284)

FC Internazionale team
The team in 2009.

History

The about to be Italian football dynasty, Inter Milan, was established on 9 March 1908. It didn't take long for the club to start walking the road to greatness, as the first Scudetto came only two years after the foundation. Inter would cement its role in Italian football by winning six more in the next 50 years. Their first Coppa Italia trophy was won in 1938, on the back of Giuseppe Meazza's inspirational displays. Meazza is still Inter's leading goalscorer of all time with 284 goals, and the club's stadium would later be officially named in his honor.

But everything was not a fairy tale. After the National Fascist Party government had talking over in 1922, the Milan club had to adapt to political orders. These dictated a merge with another club, Unione Sportiva Milanese, and the new name Società Sportiva Ambrosiana. When the days of fascism in Italy reached an end in 1943, the club could soon change back to their old name.

Under the influence of Herrera

For its greatest successes, Inter has to thank the Argentine coach Helenio Herrera. As soon as he arrived at the club in 1960, he started modifying the catenaccio system in order to make it more suited for counterattacks. An important aspect of the catenaccio system was the libero, a role that was given to Armando Picchi. Herrera also set strict guidelines regarding nutrition and other areas concerning discipline. During Herrera's tenure at the club (1960-1968), Inter won two European Cups and three Scudettos, conceding less than a single goal per game throughout. They would never repeat that kind of dominance, and this golden period is now famously known as the "Grande Inter" era.

Herrera had a great team including the skillful attacker Sandro Mazzola, the fast right-winger Jair da Costa and the playmaker Luis Suárez, who became the most expensive player in the world when he moved from Barcelona to Inter in 1961.

Darker times

In the next twenty years, Inter managed to add two Scudettos and two Italian Cups to its tally. Then came the roaring 90s, and Inter suddenly found themselves on the margins, playing second fiddle to its old rivals, Milan and Juventus. The club was dangerously close to being relegated in 1994, but managed to survive and remain the only Italian club to never drop from the top division.

A new grand era

This Dark Age came to an end with the appointment of Roberto Mancini as head coach in 2004, who led them to three consecutive Scudettos (including the fantastic record in the 2006–07 season with 30 won games out of 38, collection 97 points in total), before departing in 2008. In 2010, Inter became the first Italian team to complete a Treble by winning Serie A, Italian Cup and the Champions League.

By Martin Wahl

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Logo

FC Internazionale logoThe current FC Internazionale logo is almost similar to the black and white logo that was created by Giorgio Muggiani in 1908. A new version which added blue and gold colors was adopted in 2007. Between 1928 and 2007 different logos was used among some which was quite similar to the current.

FC Internazionale timeline

1908 The club is established as FC Internazionale Milano.
1909 First league match (against Milan).
1910 Italian champions for the first time.
1922 The club is renamed Ambrosiana after a merge with Unione Sportiva Milanese.
1929 Winning the first edition of Serie A, as Ambrosiana.
1939 First Coppa Italia victory.
1943 The club change back to their old name.
1945 Moving to San Siro.
1960 Helenio Herrera is appointed as manager.
1964 First European Cup title.
1964 First Intercontinental Cup title.
1989 First Supercoppa Italiana victory.
1991 First UEFA Cup title.
1999 Christian Vieri is transferred for €49 millions, a new club record.
2010 First Champions League title.
2010 Winning FIFA Club World Cup.
2010 Becomes the first Italian side to achieve a Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League treble.

Trivia

Football clubs also founded in 1908

RSC Anderlecht logoRSC Anderlecht
Panathinaikos FC logoPanathinaikos FC

Football clubs ordered after establishment

League statistics

League record

Titles in total: 18
Serie A titles: 16
First participation: 1908-1909
First title: 1909-1910

All seasons

Season League Position Points Notes
2018-19 Serie A 4 69  
2017-18 Serie A 4 72  
2016-17 Serie A 7 62  
2015-16 Serie A 4 67  
2014-15 Serie A 8 55  
2013-14 Serie A 5 60  
2012-13 Serie A 9 54  
2011-12 Serie A 6 58  
2010-11 Serie B 2 76  
2009-10 Serie A 1 82 18th league title
2008-09 Serie A 1 84 17th league title
2007-08 Serie A 1 85 16th league title
2006-07 Serie A 1 97 15th league title
2005-06 Serie A 1 76 14th league title
2004-05 Serie A 3 72  
2003-04 Serie A 4 59  
2002-03 Serie A 2 65  
2001-02 Serie A 3 69  
2000-01 Serie A 5 51  
1999-00 Serie A 4 58  
1998-99 Serie A 8 46  
1997-98 Serie A 2 69  
1996-97 Serie A 3 59  
1995-96 Serie A 7 54  
1994-95 Serie A 6 52  
1993-94 Serie A 13 31  
1992-93 Serie A 2 46  
1991-92 Serie A 8 37  
1990-91 Serie A 3 46  
1989-90 Serie A 3 44  
1988-89 Serie A 1 58 13th league title
1987-88 Serie A 5 32  
1986-87 Serie A 3 38  
1985-86 Serie A 6 32  
1984-85 Serie A 3 38  
1983-84 Serie A 4 35  
1982-83 Serie A 3 38  
1981-82 Serie A 5 35  
1980-81 Serie A 4 36  
1979-80 Serie A 1 41 12th league title
1978-79 Serie A 4 36  
1977-78 Serie A 5 36  
1976-77 Serie A 4 33  
1975-76 Serie A 4 37  
1974-75 Serie A 9 30  
1973-74 Serie A 4 35  
1972-73 Serie A 5 37  
1971-72 Serie A 5 36  
1970-71 Serie A 1 46 11th league title
1969-70 Serie A 2 41  
1968-69 Serie A 4 36  
1967-68 Serie A 5 33  
1966-67 Serie A 2 48  
1965-66 Serie A 1 50 10th league title
1964-65 Serie A 1 54 9th league title
1963-64 Serie A 2 54  
1962-63 Serie A 1 49 8th league title
1961-62 Serie A 2 48  
1960-61 Serie A 3 44  
1959-60 Serie A 4 40  
1958-59 Serie A 3 46  
1957-58 Serie A 11 32  
1956-57 Serie A 5 35  
1955-56 Serie A 3 39  
1954-55 Serie A 8 36  
1953-54 Serie A 1 51 7th league title
1952-53 Serie A 1 47 6th league title
1951-52 Serie A 3 49  
1950-51 Serie A 2 59  
1949-50 Serie A 3 49  
1948-49 Serie A 2 55  
1947-48 Serie A 12 37  
1946-47 Serie A 10 36  
1945-46 Serie A-B 4 53  
1943-45 - - - WWII
1942-43 Serie A 4 34  
1941-42 Serie A 12 26  
1940-41 Serie A 2 35  
1939-40 Serie A 1 44 5th league title
1938-39 Serie A 3 37  
1937-38 Serie A 1 41 4th league title
1936-37 Serie A 7 31  
1935-36 Serie A 4 36  
1934-35 Serie A 2 42  
1933-34 Serie A 2 49  
1932-33 Serie A 2 46  
1931-32 Serie A 6 38  
1930-31 Serie A 5 38  
1929-30 Serie A 1 50 3rd league title
1928-29 Divisione Nazionale/B 6 37 Admitted to Serie A
1927-28 Divisione Nazionale 7 35  
1926-27 Divisione Nazionale 5 35  
1925-26 Prima Divisione 5 25  
1924-25 Prima Divisione/A 4 25  
1923-24 Prima Divisione/A 3 27  
1922-23 Prima Divisione/A 7 21  
1921-22 Prima Divisione/B 12 11  
1920-21 Prima Categoria/A 3 31  
1919-20 Prima Categoria 1 37 2nd league title
1915-19 - - - WWI
1914-15 Prima Categoria 3 32  
1913-14 Prima Categoria 3 42  
1912-13 Prima Categoria 3 12  
1911-12 Prima Categoria 4 21  
1910-11 Prima Categoria 6 13  
1909-10 Prima Categoria 1 25 1st league title
1908-09 Campionato Federale di Prima Categoria/Lombardia 3 0  

Note. The 14th championship title was earned after Juventus was disqualified.

Serie A – facts, stats and history

Champions League record

Season Tournament stage Notes
2011-12 Round of 16 Defeated by Marsielle
2010-11 Quarter-finals Eliminated by Schalke
2009-10 Winner 4th tournament title
2008-09 Round of 16 Eliminated by Man. U
2007-08 Round of 16 Eliminated by Liverpool
2006-07 Round of 16 Eliminated by Milan
2005-06 Quarter-finals Eliminated by Villarreal
2004-05 Quarter-finals Eliminated by Milan
2003-04 First group stage  
2002-03 Semi-finals Eliminated by Milan
2000-01 Third qualifying round  
1998-99 Quarter-finals Eliminated by Man. U

Champions League – facts, stats and history

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_Milan
Jonathan Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics (2013)
http://www.espnfc.com/story/841132/a-brief-history-of-inter-milan
http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/FC_Internazionale_Milano
Image source:
Steindy