July 30, 2010
History
Founded in 1908 as the Football Club Internazionale Milano, Inter Milan has a history rife with controversy. The founding members of the club were unhappy with the absence of international players on the AC Milan team, so Inter Milan was formed as a club open to all foreigners. Inter Milan's nickname is the Nerazzurri, which is tied to the team's black and blue colors. The team has captured 18 Serie A titles, four Supercoppa Italiana crowns, and three UEFA League and UEFA Europa Cup championships. Inter Milan has been one of the premier European soccer clubs for the past five seasons, with a .668 winning percentage and five straight Serie A league titles.
League
Inter Milan plays in Serie A, Italy's top tier and one of the world's best leagues. The club is the league's defending champion after a 24-4-10 record in the 2009-10 season.
Manager and Key Players
Rafael Benítez: Benítez leads Inter Milan, and he brings a calm and calculated approach to each match. This season will be his first at the helm for Inter Milan after spending the past six years at Liverpool. While his run as the Liverpool manager eventually came to a tumultuous end last season, he did lead the club to a Champions League title in 2005. After guaranteeing last year that Liverpool would finish at least fourth in the Premier League, the team placed seventh, and Benítez moved on to Inter Milan.
Diego Milito: The 31-year-old Argentine forward is the top scorer for Inter Milan, posting 22 goals in Serie A play last season. Milito started once and was subbed into another game for Argentina in this summer's World Cup, recording one assist in the process. He also scored both goals for Inter Milan in last season's Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich.
Javier Zanetti: The 36-year-old from Argentina is the team's seasoned captain. Zanetti is a defensive-minded midfielder who has been a key contributor to Inter Milan's success for the past 15 seasons.
•Inter plays in the largest stadium in Italy, the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. It has a capacity of 80,074.
•Benitez described himself as "a loner with a laptop" when discussing his obsession with game tactics.
•Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli was recently transferred to Manchester City for a contract worth 65,000 pounds per week.
—Compiled by Conor O'Neil (Sources: Tribalfootball.com, ESPN.com)
