Scudetto means small shield. The soccer team that won Serie A last season can stick the little sign in the Italian national colors on their jerseys. This August is Inter Milan. After nine years of continuous success at Juventus Turin, the Italian champions are back from Lombardy.
Hakan Calhanoglu has nothing to do with Inters 19th Scudetto in the narrower sense, he played in the preseason for local rivals AC Milan, who finished second in Serie A after all. But because he switched from the Rossoneri to the Nerazzurri in the summer, the 27-year-old native of Mannheim wore the Italian champions’ shield on his chest at the start of the season against CFC Genoa on Saturday, quite proudly, as it turned out.
The champions prevailed with 4-0 goals, Calhanoglu was the best man on the pitch, gave an assist and scored a goal himself. “Inter – just a show”, was the headline of the Gazzetta dello Sport. Calhanoglu made himself almost unforgettable on his debut for Inter. When the former Bundesliga professional (Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen) was replaced after almost 80 minutes, most of the 27,000 spectators in the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium stood up and applauded.
Ibrahimovic’s debut
In Italy, fans with appropriate anti-corona certificates are allowed back into the stadium, 50 percent utilization is currently allowed. The fact that a new player was so celebrated on his debut was perhaps also due to the emotions of the fans when they returned after a year and a half.
Inter couldn’t have started the season better. Football historians recalled Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s debut at Inter in 2006, which was as successful as Calhanoglu’s. 2006 was the year of the Calciopoli fraud scandal in Serie A, the forced relegation of Juventus Turin favored the Ibrahimovic change at the time. 2021 is the second year of the pandemic with serious consequences for football clubs like Inter Milan, which are in financial difficulties.
The club had to surrender its best players Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, after the coach Antonio Conte had announced his departure because of the austerity measures announced by the Chinese owners. Calhanoglu came on a free transfer from AC Milan, as did striker Edin Dzeko from AS Roma. Inter needed a new man in midfield after Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest at the European Championships. It is unclear whether and when the Dane will be able to play football professionally again in Inter’s service. These circumstances – as well as the prospect of a higher salary – brought Calhanoglu to Inter.
Harmless opponent
The fact that the start of the season went so smoothly, contrary to all expectations, was probably also due to the harmless opponent. Genoa with old star Goran Pandev were inferior to Inter in all respects. Very few Inter-Tifosi had expected such a dominance after the prominent departures. “I couldn’t have wished for a better debut,” said coach Simone Inzaghi.
The brother of legendary striker Filippo came from Lazio at the start of the season. “Lukaku who?” Tuttosport asked on its front page, alluding to the financial reasons why the star striker Lukaku had to move to Chelsea, which brought Inter a € 115 million transfer fee. Next to Calhanoglu, the former Wolfsburg Dzeko was the best man on the pitch. “Calhanoglu and Dzeko are great,” praised Inzaghi.
Calhanoglu, from Baden with Turkish roots, had already played his way into the hearts of the Interisti after a quarter of an hour. After six minutes he kicked a corner, which Milan Skriniar converted to 1-0 with a header. In the 14th minute, Inter then showed the finest combination football: Stefano Sensi served Calhanoglu in midfield, who passed the ball on to Dzeko, who put it in a one-two to the former Leverkusen player.
Calhanoglu moved forward with speed and shot the ball from 22 meters to Genoa goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu unsustainable in the lower right corner. “Inzaghi wants me to score goals too,” said Calhanoglu, “I want to give everything for this team and the fans.” The Inter idyll was not yet complete. Substitute Arturo Vidal, who had always remained colorless under Conte, scored the 3-0 and prepared Dzeko’s 4-0 with a cross. The 35-year-old Bosnian also got top marks. Inter are leaders – and Lukaku forgotten in Milan for the time being.
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