Remembering the 2010 Champions League Final Bayern vs Inter | OneFootball

The jury is finally in on the fixtures that will make up the Quarter-Finals of this year’s Champions League. All will be entertaining matches on their own, I’m sure, but the disparities are notable, especially in the cases of Barcelona vs. Dortmund and PSG vs. Aston Villa. But who knows? A shocking twist deep into the knockout rounds is a staple of the competition and is what keeps us coming back to it year after year.

That being said, only one of these Quarter-Finals truly is a clash of titans in which predicting the result is near impossible: Inter vs. Bayern Munich—both dominant sides in their respective countries and on the European stage. Let’s use this as an excuse to look back at that iconic final these two sides disputed nearly fifteen years ago.

José Mourinho and Inter

The story of the Nerazzurri’s journey to the Champions League Final is a mythical one for this generation. Under the guidance of José Mourinho, who at the time was one of the most sought-after managers in Europe—nowadays a hard manager to pin down, with shorter spells at clubs that often end in disaster—Mourinho is currently at the helm of Fenerbahçe. But back then, he had completed the unbelievable task of taking Porto—yes, Porto—to the Champions League Final and winning against all odds. He then had an iconic spell with Chelsea, where he became known by his self-appointed nickname, "The Special One," and went toe-to-toe with the most experienced managers of that Premier League era, like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger. Mourinho brought to Inter an underdog mentality, and by carefully crafting a squad of hungry but experienced players who were near the end of their careers but had never won the Champions League—players like Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito, Javier Zanetti, and Wesley Sneijder—he managed to bring a treble to the club in yet another unlikely turn before eventually going off to Real Madrid for yet another historic stint with Los Blancos.

Bayern Munich

Bayern’s dominance over Germany is nothing new. If you’ve been watching the sport for the last five to ten years, then you know this. At the time, well, it was basically the same. Bayern were chasing a treble of their own under the management of Louis van Gaal, boasting players that would come to define a generation and a style for the club in the decade to come—the artistry of Arjen Robben on the wings, the finesse of Schweinsteiger in midfield, the intensity of Müller up front, and the burgeoning leadership of the iconic Philipp Lahm, a bona fide club legend.

The Stage

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the current home of fifteen Champions League trophies, thanks to the prowess of Real Madrid on the European stage. But on May 22, 2010, it was the arena for the final between the Italians and the Germans. The match was not a particularly physical or controversial one. As a matter of fact, it was Mourinho’s prior experience as an understudy to Van Gaal while both were at Barcelona that gave him the upper hand. He understood how to deploy his team effectively to cut Bayern’s passing lanes and instill disorganization. Bayern dominated in possession and overall shots but were ineffective. That’s whereIl Principe Diego Milito etched his name into the history books, scoring twice in both the first and second halves to give Inter Milan their third Champions League trophy.