Looking back at the iconic 2009-10 season, the last time FC Barcelona and Inter Milan faced each other in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. While the two clubs have met more recently – notably in the 2022-23 group stage where Simone Inzaghi`s Inter advanced at the expense of Xavi`s Barcelona, eventually reaching the final before losing to Manchester City – their 2010 semi-final clash holds legendary status. That season saw José Mourinho`s Inter achieve a historic treble, securing Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and their third Champions League trophy, the first in 45 years. Pep Guardiola was at the helm of Barcelona at that time.
Barcelona were enjoying an extraordinary period under Guardiola, having already claimed a treble in his debut season (2008-09) by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League final in Rome with goals from Samuel Eto`o and Lionel Messi. A year later, they had the unprecedented opportunity to replicate this success and potentially lift the European trophy at the home of their fierce rivals, Madrid`s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. To reach that coveted final, they first had to overcome Mourinho`s Inter.
The semifinal tie itself was legendary. The first leg in Milan saw Inter emerge victorious with a 3-1 scoreline, thanks to goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon, and Diego Milito, after Pedro had opened the scoring for Barcelona. The return leg, played at Camp Nou in Barcelona on April 28, 2010, is remembered as one of the most iconic football matches of recent decades. However, the underlying tension and rivalry between the two sides, and particularly their managers, had been building long before the first whistle.
The Summer of 2009
The summer transfer window of 2009 featured one of football`s most unexpected swap deals. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had expressed dissatisfaction at Inter towards the end of the 2008-09 season, a year where Inter won Serie A under Mourinho but were eliminated from the Champions League by Manchester United, highlighting their need for European strength. Ibrahimovic`s agent, Mino Raiola, began exploring options for a summer exit as his client desired Champions League success. Meanwhile, FC Barcelona were seeking a new striker.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Inter`s then-owner Massimo Moratti ultimately agreed on a deal: Ibrahimovic would move to Guardiola`s side in exchange for approximately $50 million plus Samuel Eto`o on a free transfer, valuing the total deal around $70 million. Inter also initially showed interest in Barcelona midfielder Aljaksandr Hleb, but when a deal couldn`t be reached, they pivoted and signed Wesley Sneijder from Real Madrid a few weeks later. Sneijder proved to be an integral and crucial piece in Inter`s treble-winning campaign.
Mourinho vs. Guardiola
The managerial rivalry significantly intensified during the 2009-10 season, although their paths had crossed before. Mourinho had previously worked on the Barcelona coaching staff under both Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, while Guardiola was a player who had interacted with the Portuguese assistant in the late 1990s. When Guardiola began his managerial career with Barcelona in 2008, Mourinho represented a stark contrast in tactical approach and psychological methods.
The rivalry grew heated throughout the 2009-10 season, with Mourinho notably asserting that while winning the Champions League was just a dream for Inter, it was an obsession for Barcelona and Guardiola. The 2010 campaign perhaps showcased the peak version of Mourinho both tactically on the pitch and psychologically off it, as he masterfully found ways to neutralize opponents and gain an edge. Things escalated dramatically when Mourinho took the helm at Real Madrid after the 2009-10 season, becoming the central figure in the fierce Clasico rivalry for several years, though he couldn`t quite replicate his Inter success against Barcelona during that period.
Barcelona`s Difficult Journey to Milan in 2010
Ahead of the first leg, Barcelona faced extraordinary travel challenges. In April 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland created a vast ash cloud across Europe, causing widespread disruption to air travel due to the risk of engine damage. Guardiola`s team was unable to fly to Milan as planned.
Instead, Barcelona`s squad was forced to undertake an arduous journey of approximately 1,000 kilometers by bus from Barcelona to Milan. This took around 14 hours over two days, including an overnight stop in Cannes, France. This physically taxing trip added another layer of difficulty to their preparation for the crucial first leg.
What Happened in the Second Leg?
One week after securing their 3-1 first-leg advantage in Milan, Inter traveled to Barcelona knowing they were close to reaching the final, despite the city and the stadium buzzing with anticipation for a “remontada,” a comeback.
The atmosphere at Camp Nou even before kickoff was electric. José Mourinho walked onto the pitch for his team`s pre-match training and was met with intense whistling from the entire stadium. Mourinho later suggested he wanted to draw the hostility onto himself, allowing his players to focus on the game. From the opening minute, FC Barcelona pressed Inter relentlessly, seeking an early goal. Things appeared to swing further in Barcelona`s favor when Thiago Motta received his second yellow card and was sent off in the 28th minute for a foul on Sergio Busquets, leaving Inter with 10 men.
A few moments after the red card, Mourinho was seen speaking into Guardiola`s ear while the Barcelona coach talked to Ibrahimovic. Years later, Mourinho revealed his words: “Don`t celebrate, it`s not over.” He proved to be absolutely right.
Despite their numerical disadvantage and Barcelona`s relentless pressure, Inter`s defense, marshaled brilliantly, seemed impenetrable. Barcelona struggled to find a breakthrough. Their only goal of the night finally came in the 84th minute through center-back Gerard Piqué, cleverly finished. Bojan Krkic then appeared to have scored a second goal in stoppage time that would have sent Barcelona through on away goals, but it was controversially disallowed for a handball by Yaya Touré in the build-up. Inter resisted heroically until the final second, with their players, including former Barcelona forward Eto`o, dropping deep to defend.
At the final whistle, an ecstatic Mourinho sprinted across the pitch, pointing a finger to the sky towards the celebrating Inter away fans, while many Barcelona players collapsed onto the grass in despair. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes confronted Mourinho during his celebration, a sign of the intense rivalry to come. In a final act, Barcelona staff controversially turned on the pitch sprinklers, seemingly to disrupt Inter`s celebrations. In his memorable post-match interview, José Mourinho declared, “This is the best day of my life, better than my first title, better than the Champions League won with Porto, for the fans, for my team. The best day ever.”
Lineups for the Second Leg
FC Barcelona Starting XI: Victor Valdes; Gerard Pique, Gabriel Milito, Yaya Toure; Dani Alves, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Keita; Pedro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi.
Inter Milan Starting XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti; Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Dejan Stankovic, Christian Chivu, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto`o, Diego Milito.
