As the millionaire CEO of oil refining giant Saras, Internazionale president Massimo Moratti could hardly be described as an ardent socialist.
But he does seem to subscribe to Leon Trotsky's theory of Permanent Revolution.
Since the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble of 2010 – an achievement unparalleled in Italian football history – Moratti has hired five different coaches in 21 months. The fifth, Andrea Stramaccioni, had never coached at senior level until four months ago and at 36, is two years younger than his captain Javier Zanetti. He is lesser known than his predecessors Rafa Benitez, Leonardo, Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri, yet appears to be succeeding where they failed, and finally restoring stability to Inter.
Returning to the UK will bring back happy memories for Stramaccioni as it was here, at Leyton Orient's Matchroom Stadium, that he won Moratti's approval. There, in March, he led Inter's under-19 team to victory over Ajax in the final of the NextGen series, the youth tournament designed to mimic the Champions League, in which Celtic and Tony Watt also made quite a splash last year. Remarkably, the Rome native was given charge of the senior side the very next day, after a 2-0 defeat by Juventus the night before had prompted the sacking of Ranieri with Inter in eighth position in Serie A.
Inter won five of their nine matches under 'Strama', including a spectacular 4-2 victory in the Milan derby and qualified for the Europa League by making the top six. Before May was through he had been confirmed as the next permanent manager of Inter, signing a three-year contract.
With veteran striker Diego Milito at the tip of a 4-2-3-1, Stramaccioni's side play some stylish football, but it's his man management and the rehabilitation of players such as Wesley Sneijder, who had been disaffected and out of form since Jose Mourinho's exit, that has distinguished him. "Stramaccioni is the best option for Inter after Mourinho," said the Dutch playmaker. "His enthusiasm is rubbing off on the players and he has great ideas."
Inter's transfer strategy this summer has reflected their coach's personality: ambitious, radical, focused on youth. One by one the club's veterans, many of them key protagonists in the treble, have been phased out, with Ivan Cordoba joining the background staff, Lucio and Diego Forlan released and Maicon, Julio Cesar and Dejan Stankovic also expected to leave before the window closes. In their place an intriguing mix of new signings, loan returnees, a handful of old guard members and Stramaccioni's favourite pupils from the youth ranks.
Jimmy Johnstone's description of the Inter players' appearance in the tunnel –"All six footers wi' Ambre Solaire suntans, slicked back hair and Colgate smiles" –before a rather more famous meeting between the teams that meet again today, has gone down in legend.
The current side should prove just as visually arresting. The Argentine Rodrigo Palacio might be mistaken for a Jedi Knight having grown back his infamous 'rat's tail', the last one cut off and donated to Genoa's club museum when Inter paid £8.8m for him in May. Brazilian Philippe Coutinho could be mistaken for a mascot with his short stature and frizzy hair, but the 20-year-old is on the cusp of greatness after returning from a productive loan spell with Espanyol.
The Nerazzurri have won all five of their friendlies as they build towards next Thursday's Europa League third round qualifier versus Hadjuk Split, with the first leg in Croatia. Their last two matches, wins against Juventus and Milan in the Trofeo Tim tournament last weekend, have raised expectations for the new season.
It's not always been a happy honeymoon for the new coach. Inter's new red away kit has enraged the Curva Nord fans, who declared "those colours belong to another team," (namely Milan) and Moratti has had to defend the cull of the veterans. "No is one more fond of these players than ourselves so we don't get any pleasure from going down another path," he said.
However a little bit of chaos is to be expected at a club whose anthem is 'Pazza Inter': 'Crazy Inter'.
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