Now Inter have won the Scudetto. What’s next for the Nerazzurri?

It’s often said that once you’ve won something, everything changes. That’s certainly the case for Inter. On Sunday, May 2nd, Inter were crowned Scudetto champions for the 19th time and the first since 2010. The Nerazzurri have been simply outstanding this season, strategically waiting for AC Milan to suffer a mid-season wobble and pouncing at the first opening. They haven’t looked back since. Although their European campaign ended early, with a swift Champions League exit, that clearly was of no bother to Antonio Conte.

Neither was their Coppa Italia semi-finals defeat, as Conte had other plans. And unlike Maurizio Sarri, who attempted the same effort with Napoli a few seasons back, Conte had no intention of throwing all his eggs into one basket and coming up empty-handed. The big difference here is that Conte already had a proven track record of success, having won several Scudetti with Juventus and a Premier League title with Chelsea – so clearly, he knew exactly how to manage his players and keep things calm as the pressure built.

Inter started off brightly. Their pre-season saw them win all six of their matches, sans conceding a goal. While there was an early stumble as they lost 2-1 in the first Derby della Madonnina to AC Milan, the Nerazzurri quickly recovered to go undefeated for the rest of the year. In fact, it wasn’t until Sampdoria managed to pull off a shock 2-1 victory that Inter lost their second game of the season.

Still, they remained behind Milan, who were going strong, and for all intents and purposes it seemed like the Nerazzurri may have to settle for a runners-up spot once again.

That is, until matchday 22. On Valentine’s Day, Inter beat Lazio 3-1. The day before, Milan suffered a shock 2-0 reversal to debutants Spezia. And in the span of 24 hours, the whole dynamic of the Scudetto race was changed just like that. Once Inter had gotten their foot in the door, they never looked back, going on a 20 match unbeaten run until being halted by Juventus on the penultimate game of the season.

Juve’s 3-2 win in the Derby d’Italia meant nothing, though, perhaps, except to give the Bianconeri some sweet revenge after having to see another team – their bitter rivals, especially – become champions of Italy. Indeed, by then, Inter had already won the Scudetto, clinching the coveted prize after matchday 34 and their 2-0 win against Crotone.

So, what’s next for Inter? Well, on Sunday, they’ll face Udinese. The Zebrette are unique in the fact that they’re the only side who have managed to prevent the Nerazzurri from scoring in Serie A, and certainly Conte’s side will hope to make sure that doesn’t happen again. After that, the season ends, and the real work begins. Inter were among the teams who were involved in the European Super League, but will escape punishment – it seems – as they quickly withdrew and now will likely be reintegrated back into the fold.

There are major concerns, however. One is their mounting debts, something that Inter’s leadership has looked to resolve with some cash infusion via a loan from Oaktree Capital. It remains to be seen whether this stop-gap solution will fix this issue or will just paper over the cracks. There have been rumors that Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez could be on their way out – not because they want to leave, but because of fiscal issues. Certainly, that’s not something fans will want to see happen, as it’s quite reminiscent of what happened at AC Milan about a decade ago. Back in 2012, a year after winning the Scudetto, the Rossoneri ended up selling both Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG. They haven’t been able to recover since.

Whilst it’s not certain that Inter would end up meeting the same fate, it’s certainly something that will be on the back of many people’s minds as we head into this summer. Then the question as to whether Conte will still be the man on the bench, as there also have been rumblings about his future at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

So, as Inter prepare to conclude their best campaign in over a decade, there remains an air of uncertainty about what’s next for the Nerazzurri in the 2021/2022 term and beyond. But one thing is certain, however: They now will be the team to beat next season, as once one gets their hands on the Scudetto, all eyes will be on them, waiting for them to slip up and for another to have the chance to get on the winners’ podium.

Will Inter be able to replicate their success next term, or will they just be a one-hit wonder? We’ll just have to wait and see.