Inter or AC Milan - Which club is best prepared to qualify for the Champions League?

The San Siro will host the 2016 Champions League final but neither Milan nor Inter will take part in 2015/16

Imagine a European club competition without Inter Milan or AC Milan. Actually, don’t bother. That has become a reality. For the first time in sixty years, both these monumental clubs have failed to qualify for European football and will not feature in either the UEFA Champions League or the Europa League next season.

The fact that the San Siro will host next season’s Champions League final further shames both these football clubs. An eminent part of the competition since its inception, the two clubs have won 10 European Cups/Champions League trophies. Seven of these belong to AC Milan, with Inter winning three. Between 2000 and 2010, these teams were involved in four finals. The era of international success is not a faint memory, even if recent years of mediocrity overshadow the glories of yesteryears.

Neutrals and, more importantly, fans would like to erase the last three r four seasons from the pages of history. Both teams lost their respective spines, which included the departure of distinguished personalities from the team and the dressing room. The generation that followed the departing legends failed to bear the torch, falling incredibly short of the club’s lofty standards.

Mismanagement and poor direction have led to the sale of both these clubs, ushering a new dawn for the fallen giants. Typically, teams tend to focus on domestic dominion before establishing themselves internationally. Over the last four seasons, bitter rivals Juventus have monopolized the league, winning titles at a canter. Recent recruitments and sales indicate that both the Milan clubs are on track to finally challenge the Bianconeri and muscle some control back into the fashion capital of Italy.

Inter are strategically constructing their squad

Inter Milan finished eighth last season, 32 points behind league winners Juventus. The Nerazzurri won 14 of their 38 games, the same as Torino (a team with a fraction of Inter’s resources). Inter lost 11 games in the process, which is roughly 30% of their fixtures. That is a towering figure, given the magnitude of the club.

Inter scored more goals than AS Roma but conceded more than any of the top four teams in the league. The defence was Inter’s Achilles heel and the management swiftly moved to address that department this summer.

Joao Miranda, Jeison Murillo, Martin Montoya and Davide Santon were signed to fortify the defence. Miranda is a continentally renowned stopper and Murillo was awarded the Best Young Player in the recently concluded Copa America. Santon and Montoya will be certain upgrades over Inter’s current full backs.

Inter signed Geoffrey Kondogbia when he looked set to join Milan

A clean-up was performed on the existing defence by shipping the likes of Matias Silvestre, Felipe, Hugo Campagnaro and Jonathan. The captain of the side, Andrea Ranocchia, and the highly-rated Juan Jesus were retained.

Additionally, Inter bought Geoffrey Kondogbia for a record signing of €40 million from AS Monaco. The current midfield roster of Gary Medel, Freddy Guarin, Mateo Kovacic, Hernanes and Marcelo Brozovic is fairly impressive. Kondogbia will increase the talent in the midfield geometrically.

As previously mentioned, Inter’s attack is among the best in the league and with the right support, can be made even more lethal. Media reports are constantly linking Inter with Mohammad Salah, Stevan Jovetic and Ivan Perisic, with the Wolfsburg attacker apparently on the verge of signing for La Beneamata.

AC Milan’s focus lies internally with order being restored through Sinisa Mihajlovic

AC Milan, on the other hand, were left rather embarrassed in the transfer window by losing out on Jackson Martinez and Kondogbia, after these players were nearly confirmed to be Milan players. Memes flooded the internet, unofficially presenting these players in red and black until Atletico Madrid and Inter intervened.

Sinisa Mihajlovic has a big job on his hands to get Milan back to the upper echelons of the Serie A table

Adriano Galliani promptly reacted by signing Carlos Bacca from Sevilla and Luiz Adriano from Shaktar Donetsk. The management also splashed the cash on Andrea Bertolacci, who was signed from AS Roma. Jose Mauri, the tenacious young midfielder from Parma was nearly a Fiorentina player at one point, but Milan speedily sealed his signature.

Milan endured a woeful run in Serie A last season, finishing 10th in the table. The primary problem with the team was that they were fundamentally mediocre. They were neither good at outscoring the opposition, nor were they defensively resolute. AS Roma and Sampdoria scored fewer goals than Milan but finished higher in the table. Napoli conceded more goals, yet bagged a Europa League spot.

The team was tactically inept and fragmented from within. The management hired a taskmaster in Sinisa Mihajlovic to whip the team into shape and order. The Serbian has a distinct footballing identity, which he is attempting to stamp upon the squad through rigorous training.

He has removed the deadwood from the squad by releasing Sulley Muntari, Giampaolo Pazzini and Daniele Bonera. Stephan El Shaarawy, a player with a horrific injury record and plunging value was loaned to Monaco with an ‘obligation to buy’ clause attached to the deal while Adil Rami was sold to Sevilla for €3.5 million.

The signing of Carlos Bacca from Sevilla was a statement of intent from AC Milan

Milan’s transfer activity has not concluded as yet. Alex Witsel and Roberto Soriano are being linked to add that dash of quality to the midfield, which was Milan’s weakest area on the pitch. Alessio Romagnoli, a pupil of Mihajlovic, is being pursued fervently by the Milan management. His arrival will instantly improve Milan’s central defence.

Milan’s blockbuster signing is no secret. The media murmur, which is becoming something of a roar, indicates that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to sign a three-year contract with the club, by moving from Paris-Saint Germain. Having already acquired two number nines, this transfer is likely to cause some confusion in the minds of tacticians.

Well, Zlatan will not occupy the position of a primary striker. If and when he does join Milan, the big Swede would play behind the front two, as a number ten.

The verdict

From the evidence of the signings thus far and the players proposed to be obtained in the coming weeks, there is little doubt with regards to the ambition both managements possess. The suits running these clubs have been given the directive of equipping the respective managers with squads capable of leading Inter and AC Milan back to the top of Serie A. However, if only one of these teams had to qualify for the Champions League the following season, which one would it be?

Purely on the basis of their current rosters (as of 21 July 2015), Inter have the edge. Defences, historically and presently, win titles in Italy. The Scudetto, for many a year, has been won by the team conceding the least number of goals. For a fact, the team with the least goals conceded has won the league for the last eight seasons.

Roberto Mancini’s Inter Milan is well placed to challenge in the Serie A

With their latest acquisitions, Inter Milan’s defence is superior. Roberto Mancini also has better options to choose from when picking midfielders for his side. As for the attack, both Bacca and Adriano are untested on Italian soil. In such a case, Inter’s attack gains a significant advantage.

That being said, the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic could tilt the odds in Milan’s favor. With Ibrahimovic, Milan would be fielding the best player in the league, one with a terrific record of winning league titles. He could single-handedly win football matches for Milan, giving the defence a secondary status.

The clock is on as only five weeks remain before the transfer market closes. The metaphoric see-saw of the power struggle between the two Milan clubs provides for a gripping view. Let’s wait and watch.