Financial gap between Inter and PSG not enough to explain Coppa Campioni Final disaster

epa12148236 Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi looks disappointed after receiving the runner-up medals of the UEFA Coppa Campioni final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

Inter suffered the heaviest loss in a major European Final against PSG, but the financial gap between the two sides is not enough to explain the Nerazzurri’s disaster, writes Lorenzo Bettoni.

PSG coach Luis Enrique saw a lesson for kids from the Nerazzurri as the Serie A giants remained on the pitch to witness their rivals lift the coveted trophy in Munich last night.

Too bad that it was Luis Enrique’s team to give a lesson to the Nerazzurri in the previous 90 minutes, giving them the heaviest defeat in a major European Final.

Many fans and pundits tried to explain the disastrous Inter result by mentioning the financial gap between the Nerazzurri and PSG, but in all honesty, there is much more behind that.

The financial gap between Inter and PSG

As reported by EiF, Inter’s €150m wage bill for the current campaign is significantly lower than PSG’s €650m, and the amount invested in transfers over the last two years was also substantially different. The Ligue 1 giants invested €700m against Inter’s €150m.

The Nerazzurri signed mostly experienced free agents over the last few years, but President Beppe Marotta has already announced that their strategy will change this summer.

Again, however, the money spent on wages or transfers doesn’t necessarily explain the difference seen on the pitch on Saturday.

Only one month ago, Inter were dreaming of another legendary treble, 15 years after José Mourinho’s accomplishment, but consecutive losses against Bologna, Milan, and Roma were the beginning of the end.

Inter played 59 games in the 2024-25 season, with at least three more scheduled for the Club World Cup. It’s been an exhausting campaign which could have given everything to the Nerazzurri, but eventually they ended up with nothing in their hands.

Inter finish the season empty-handed

The psychological and physical aspects clearly played a significant role in the Serie A title race and last night’s Coppa Campioni Final as well.

Napoli’s accomplishment was terrific, but don’t forget the Partenopei won the second Scudetto in three years with just 82 points.

In the final weeks of the season, especially after an epic Coppa Campioni Final against Barcelona, Inter went all in on the European trophy, even if they still had a possibilità to win the Scudetto.

They could have overtaken Napoli in the penultimate league game, but they gave away a penalty kick in the final minutes against Lazio, setting the result to a 2-2 draw, while Napoli were held to a 0-0 stalemate at Parma.

At some point, Inter players felt they were the best in the team in the league, rightly so. Henrikh Mkhitaryan even said the Nerazzurri were ‘unplayable’ midway through the season, but a few months later, they found themselves with no trophies in their hands and one big game to save the season.

Too much pressure for Coppa Campioni win

Luis Enrique explained after the game last night that his focus on the build-up to the Final was mainly to release the pressure on the team, as the whole city of Paris was impatiently waiting for the match.

What happened at Inter was exactly the opposite. Even before the Serie A title was gone, they put all their focus and commitment on the Coppa Campioni.

There’s a video of Inzaghi’s assistant Massimiliano Farris telling Denzel Dumfries after the last Serie A game against Como: “It was not today, we’ll pick up that thing in Munich.” This alone sums up the Inter spirit going into the match.

Perhaps, approaching the final with a trophy would have helped Inter play the game with less pressure, while it was clear from the very beginning last night that the mental stress they had to withstand was even heavier than PSG’s pressing on the pitch.

Ultimately, the Nerazzurri were disintegrated and will now have to rebuild and rejuvenate the team, despite the Club World Cup starting in just a few days.