Inter Milan claimed their 21st Serie A (Scudetto) title on Sunday, sealing the championship with three rounds to spare after a commanding 2-0 home victory over Parma at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, completing one of the most unexpected coaching triumphs in Italian football in recent memory.
The title-clinching sequence unfolded over two days. Napoli dropped points with a draw on Saturday, and city rivals Alternating Current (AC) Milan suffered defeat on Sunday afternoon before Inter put the result beyond any doubt with their composed win over Parma, sending San Siro into celebration.
At the centre of the achievement is head coach Cristian Chivu, 45, who took charge of the Nerazzurri in June 2025 with just 13 senior matches of managerial experience, having kept Parma in Serie A at the end of the previous season. His appointment raised immediate scepticism given the calibre of the managers he faced — Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan, Antonio Conte defending the title with Napoli, and Gian Piero Gasperini at Roma — yet Chivu silenced every doubt. With Sunday’s triumph, he became only the second person in history to win the Scudetto as both an Inter player and manager, a distinction previously held only by Armando Castellazzi, who achieved the feat across the 1927-28 and 1937-38 seasons.
Chivu replaced Simone Inzaghi, who departed for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal in the summer of 2025 having won the 2023-24 league title, two Coppa Italia trophies and reached the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League final on two occasions. Rather than uproot Inzaghi’s tactical foundation, the 3-5-2 system and its key personnel, Chivu refined the tempo, adjusted pressing triggers and integrated new signings, earning early praise for the continuity and clarity of his methods.
Captain Lautaro Martínez led the scoring with 16 goals, supported by Marcus Thuram and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Francesco Pio Esposito, 21, contributed six goals across the campaign in a breakout season that validated Chivu’s decision to keep the academy product in the first-team squad. Federico Dimarco was arguably the season’s outstanding individual performer, setting a Serie A single-season record of 18 assists, eclipsing the previous all-time high, while Nicolò Barella provided relentless energy and creativity through the middle.
Defensively, Inter were equally formidable. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer and loan signing Manuel Akanji formed a dependable unit at the back as the club conceded just 31 goals and lost only five matches across the season. Their sole significant disappointment came in Europe, where they were eliminated by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt on a 5-2 aggregate in the Champions League playoff round.
Inter now have a further opportunity for glory: a Coppa Italia final against Lazio in Rome. Should Chivu secure the double, he will become the first Inter manager to do so since José Mourinho in the iconic 2009-10 treble-winning season.
