Five most iconic moments under Massimo Moratti for Inter Milan

3) Mistakes and Fans’ Disapproval

CESENA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 30: Luigi Simoni head coach of AS Gubbio looks on during the TIM Cup match between AC Cesena and AS Gubbio at Dino Manuzzi Stadium on November 30, 2011 in Cesena, Italy. (Photo by Mario Carlini / Iguana Press/Getty Images)

It wasn’t all a bed of roses for Moratti at Inter though. After many promises of Inter rising to the top of Italian and European football by Moratti after succeeding Pellegrini, things were far from smooth at the start. Even though Inter broke the world transfer record twice in the 1990s- £19.5 million for Ronaldo, and £31 million for Christian Vieri, Inter failed to win a single domestic league title. It was the first, and only, decade in which they had failed to do so in their history.

Moratti drew the fans’ ire when he sacked much-loved manager Luigi Simoni in the 1998/99 season. The call could not have come at a worse time, since Simoni had just been awarded the Best Manager Award for 1998 a few days prior. A string of failed managerial appointments then followed, including Mircea Lucescu, Luciano Castellini, Roy Hodgson, Marcelo Lippi and marco Tardelli. Lucescu, Lippi and Tardelli just lasted one season each. Hodgson came back as a caretaker to the club whom he had previously managed two seasons from 1995 to ’97. Castellini just managed as caretaker for two games after Hodgson was evicted for the second time.