The 2010 UEFA Champions League final stands as a truly iconic moment in soccer history. Italian side Inter Milan secured their third Champions League trophy, ending a 45-year wait. This victory was the culmination of Massimo Moratti`s nearly two decades of ownership. Moratti, a prominent figure in Italian soccer, took over the club in 1995 with the ambition of restoring Inter to the top of European football, emulating his father Angelo`s success with Helenio Herrera in the past. Despite significant investments and signings like Ronaldo in 1997, Champions League glory eluded Moratti until he appointed José Mourinho, a manager known for stirring debate across Europe.
In his second and ultimately final season with Inter, Mourinho, often called `The Special One,` achieved legendary status. He led Inter to not only Champions League victory but also Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, making Inter the first and, to date, only Italian club to achieve the treble. After winning the Coppa Italia final 1-0 against AS Roma on May 5, 2010, with a Diego Milito goal in Rome, and clinching the Serie A title thanks to another 1-0 win against Siena also secured by Milito, Inter faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 22 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, concluding an unforgettable 2009-10 season.
The road to the final
Remarkably, both Inter and Bayern Munich entered the Madrid final with the possibility of winning the treble. However, their paths to this crucial match differed. Bayern had a comfortable group stage against Bordeaux, Juventus, and Maccabi Haifa. Inter, on the other hand, progressed from a group with FC Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, and Rubin Kazan, securing qualification on the final matchday. A particularly dramatic moment for Inter was their second away game against Dynamo Kiev, where a late comeback in injury time prevented potential group stage elimination. Later in the tournament, Bayern eliminated Fiorentina, Manchester United, and Lyon in the semi-finals. Inter`s journey included victories over Chelsea, CSKA Moscow, and a thrilling two-leg semi-final against Pep Guardiola`s FC Barcelona. Inter overcame the Spanish team, who had dominated the previous season under Guardiola, winning 3-1 in Milan before a tense 1-0 loss at Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Mourinho instantly became a hero for Inter fans and also for Real Madrid supporters by preventing FC Barcelona from winning the Champions League final at the Bernabeu in Madrid. Coincidentally, just weeks later, Mourinho chose not to return to Milan to celebrate the historic victory, opting to stay in Madrid. Days after the final, he was announced as the new Real Madrid head coach. In a 2019 interview with DAZN, Mourinho explained his decision: `If I had returned to Milan to celebrate, I wouldn`t have gone to Real Madrid. I chose to escape from emotions.`
Bayern Munich also had an impressive run under Dutch manager Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal and Mourinho had a prior working relationship at FC Barcelona from 1997 to 2000, where Mourinho was Van Gaal`s assistant coach before starting his own managerial career. Showing respect for his former mentor, Mourinho greeted Van Gaal just before the final whistle blew, marking Inter`s 2-0 victory in Madrid, thanks to two goals from, once again, Diego Milito.
Who played in Madrid?
Both teams faced key player absences for the final. Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery was suspended, and Inter missed Thiago Motta, who received a red card in the second leg of the semi-final against FC Barcelona.
Bayern Munich XI: Hans-Jörg Butt; Philipp Lahm, Daniel Van Buyten, Martin Demichelis, Holger Badstuber; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Hamit Altıntop, Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller: Ivica Olić.
Inter XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Christian Chivu; Estaban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti; Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto`o; Diego Milito.
What happened next?
Immediately after the final whistle and celebrations, Inter`s team returned to Milan without Mourinho, who stayed in Madrid to finalize his agreement with Real Madrid, led by Florentino Perez, who wanted Mourinho to break FC Barcelona and Pep Guardiola`s dominance. Inter appointed former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, but he couldn`t meet the high expectations and was replaced in December after winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
Inter`s next coach, Leonardo, had a positive start, and the team faced Bayern Munich again in the 2010-11 Champions League round of 16. Inter won 3-2 at the Allianz Arena in a dramatic second leg but were surprisingly eliminated by another German team, Schalke 04, managed by Ralf Rangnick. They finished the 2010-11 season by winning the Coppa Italia. Following this season, Inter struggled for several years. Moratti stepped down as owner, leading to new investors, including Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, before the arrival of the Chinese Suning Group. This new ownership eventually led the team to a new era of success, culminating in a Serie A title in 2021, 11 years after the treble and the historic 2009-10 season.
For Bayern Munich, the 2010-11 season was disappointing. Manager van Gaal was sacked after the defeat to Inter, and Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga, as Jurgen Klopp`s Borussia Dortmund won their first Bundesliga title. Bayern then rehired club legend Jupp Heynckes. In his first season back, Heynckes led Bayern to the 2011-12 Champions League final in Munich, but they lost to Roberto Di Matteo`s Chelsea in a penalty shootout. However, just a year later, Heynckes achieved the treble with Bayern in the 2012-13 season, winning the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and the UEFA Champions League final against Klopp`s Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
