The wait is over: Inter returns to the field to leave behind the bitter disappointment of the final lost in Monaco against PSG and open a new chapter in their history. On the bench, making his debut at the helm of the first team, there will be Christian Chivu. A choice of heart and vision by the management, who wanted to focus on a symbolic figure like the defender of the 2010 Treble, today called to collect the legacy of Simone Inzaghi in a particularly delicate moment.
Monterrey – Inter (3 hours, Dazn)
The official baptism for the former Parma coach will take place tonight against Monterrey, one of the most fearsome teams in Central America, led by Domenec Torrent, former assistant to Guardiola and now coach of an experienced and international group. Among the Mexicans' ranks stand out some well-known faces from European football: Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid legend now 39 years old, and Lucas Ocampos, formerly of Milan and Seville, just to name two. But there is no shortage of talent in midfield either, with players like Oliver Torres, Canales and Moreno.
All the spotlight, however, will be on Chivu. After his experience at the helm of Parma, which culminated in a hard-fought but deserved salvation, the Romanian coach is now awaiting the most fascinating and complex test: bringing back compactness and ambition to a team that lost its way at the most beautiful moment. The first signs, in the few training sessions conducted in the USA, tell of a management already different from that of his predecessor. Frattesi and Carlos Augusto, for example, they seem to have gained positions and could have a more central role in the starting eleven.
Who will not be in the opening match is Denzel Dumfries. The Dutch winger, who returned only a few days ago from his commitments with the national team, worked separately at the UCLA sports center, complaining of a strained adductor. His condition is not worrying, but the medical staff preferred not to take any risks: Dumfries left the field with a smile and a reassuring nod, but he will not take part in the challenge with the Mexicans. In his place, Chivu will have to choose between the reliability of Matteo Darmian or the bet Louis Henrique, new face arrived on the market.
Monterrey, for its part, arrives at the event with great ambitions and a recent history of ups and downs. After a golden cycle culminating with five Concacaf Champions League titles between 2011 and 2021 and a historic Treble in 2020 (the second ever achieved by a Mexican team after Cruz Azul in 1969-70), the club has been on a four-year drought of trophy-winning campaigns that is burning. This is why the Club World Cup represents the perfect opportunity to relaunch themselves, also taking advantage of the warmth of the many fans expected at the stadium: among the 90 thousand who will fill the stands, a significant Mexican contingent is expected. For Inter, the journey begins against an ambitious and tested team. But above all, a new adventure begins, with a young and motivated coach at the helm, and the hope of transforming a season marked by frustration into an opportunity for international redemption.
Monterrey – Inter, probable formations
Monterrey (4-3-3): Andrada; Medina, Chavez, Sergio Ramos, Arteaga; Deossa, Fimbres, Canales; Corona, Berterame, Ocampos
Coach: Torrent
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Summer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Sucic, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Thuram
Trainer: Chivu
