He was convinced he would start against City: he had never really accepted the competition with the Bosnian. Then, during the technical meeting…
What happened in the week before the Istanbul final between Romelu Lukaku and Inter? Prompted by the words spoken yesterday in a press conference in Belgium by the Roma striker, many have wondered, “What did we miss?”
Big Rom threw a stone and hid his hand, clouded the waters to build tension for Inter vs. Roma (Sunday, October 29th at San Siro), but most importantly, he tried to instill doubt in the minds of the 50,000 Nerazzurri hearts waiting for him, armed with 50k whistles, to… “greet him.”
What happened that week (and the following weeks) in Appiano Gentile and its surroundings, ‘Gazetta dello Sport‘ tried to reconstruct it, without waiting for the next episode of Lukaku’s thoughts.
The focus shifts on what happened after Torino-Inter 0-1 on June 3, 2023, the last league match exactly one week before Istanbul. Inter, secured their spot in the 2023-24 Champions League by beating Atalanta in the previous round at San Siro, needed three points to secure third place. Those points came thanks to a Brozovic goal (assisted by Big Rom).
Lukaku started alongside Lautaro, playing the full 90 minutes, the final 35 minutes alongside Dzeko, the great “rival” for the Champions League final. It was clear that one of them would be left out at the Ataturk Stadium…
THE CHOICE—
on Monday, June 5, there was a media day with numerous interviews. What did Lukaku say? Here’s a summary for those who might not remember: “I think now people are seeing what I can do for the team (a message to the executives and Inzaghi?, note). But I can’t only focus on myself; Inter is more important than everything, and I want them to win. The coach will make his decisions. I knew we could reach the Champions League final, and I wrote that to the president when I was supposed to return to Inter.”
The competition with Dzeko? “I just want to enjoy the final without pressure, savor the moment and go there to achieve the best result possible. We have to believe in it; I have always had faith in this group; they are like brothers to me.”
The same brothers that, after negotiating with Milan and reaching an agreement with Juventus (an operation that never materialized), he no longer answered the phone to. In a few weeks, he will have to shake hands with those brothers in the middle of the field before Inter vs. Roma. Will everyone offer their hand, or will there be some “dramatic” gestures, in the style of the Icardi-Maxi Lopez saga?
AN EXTRA DAY OF REST
In Istanbul, Lukaku arrived in excellent form, and in terms of numbers, he had outperformed Dzeko in the two months leading up to the final. From April 11 onwards, he had 14 appearances (8 in Serie A, 5 in the Champions League, plus the Coppa Italia final) with 8 goals (1 from the penalty spot against Benfica, the rest in Serie A) and 5 assists (1 in the semifinal return against Milan, the rest in Serie A).
In the same period, Dzeko had 10 appearances (5 in the Champions League, 4 in Serie A, plus the Coppa Italia final) and 3 goals (2 against Verona, one in the first leg against Milan in the Champions League). The Bosnian was a regular starter in Europe; Lukaku, who had returned to acceptable physical condition (after injuries) in February, was used from the start in Serie A.
Regarding the numbers, during the week leading up to the Istanbul final, the Belgian striker requested an extra day of rest from the technical staff because he felt fatigued. These were his words. His request was granted, and he underwent a specific training session before rejoining the group. This detail had likely never been leaked previously and is probably something Inzaghi considered when selecting the lineup against City.
THE CLARIFICATION—
During the week leading up to the final, Lukaku was convinced that he would start. In fact, some teammates, executives, and many fans had the same belief. However, Inzaghi chose Dzeko.
The Belgian striker did not request a meeting with Inzaghi: he worked hard and pushed to the maximum, but there was no face-to-face meeting with the coach or his staff before the final. A clarification between the two occurred after the technical meeting just a few hours before the final, when Simone announced the lineup (Dzeko alongside Lautaro).
The coach explained the technical reason for his choice to the Antwerp striker, who was naturally very upset and took it badly. He entered the game in the 55th minute and inadvertently blocked a shot by Dimarco that would have equalized for Inter. But that’s a different story…
