This was written for another website (general football) and so I didn't want to put anything to negative. Anyway, here is my brief history of Inter:
"Inter was born by the defecting associates from AC Milan. That shows you how far you can go starting from nothing" (Peppino Prisco - Lawyer and famous hater of everthing red and black)
This basically tells you the beginning of the club that is FC Internazionale Milano. Born in 1908 after a faction from AC Milan founded 9 years earlier decided to rebel and make their own club. This was because Milan Cricket and Football Club (AC Milan) refused to play with foreign players. Therefore, Inter was named after the word “International” to show that the club was open to anybody of any origin. The colours of the club have never changed ever since the day that Inter was founded on March the 9th 97 years ago – Black, Blue and Gold. To go with its unique name – the “Nerazzurri’s” first captain was Swiss, Hernst Manktl.
It didn’t take long for Inter to win their first trophy as just 2 years later in 1910 – they won the Scudetto (Italian championship). The team was always known and still is known as a “family” club and the captain during Inter’s first Scudetto victory died several years later fighting in World War I. It took another 10 years for the Nerazzurri to win their next Scudetto. In 1930, an important event happened. The Fascist era emerged in Italy and the club was forced to merge with another club – Milanese Unione Sportiva and the team changed its name to Ambrosiana Inter, under that name the team won its next Scudetto.
Number 4 came in 1938 and the year after the team won its first league cup – the Coppa Italia with the star player being the legend-in-the-making that was Giuseppe Meazza. It was just another year until the Nerazzurri won their next trophy – another Scudetto, number 5 now. The legend that was being made in 1938 ended in 1947 when Giuseppe Meazza played the last of his 408 appearances for Inter. In that time the striker scored 287 goals and a year after his death (1980) the San Siro was officially named the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as the player also had a brief spell at “Cousins” Milan.
In 1953 yet another Scudetto came and Inter was fast becoming a major force in Italian football. This was proved again when a year later Scudetto number 7 arrived. Nyers, Skoglund and Lorenzi 3 great protagonists in that season. But it was the 1960’s that Inter became a major force on a much bigger stage – Europe. Inter’s Golden Era began in 1963. Under President Angelo Moratti and Coach Helenio Herrera the decade was a legendary one for the club. Star players included Giacinto Facchetti, Armando Picchi and Sandro Mazzola. 3 determined players that really resembled the spirit of the club. Scudetto’s came in the 1962/1963 season and also in the 1964/1965 and 1965/1966 seasons. The last of these 3 made the total of Scudetto’s add up to 10. In Italy, 10 Scudetto’s means that you can wear one star on your shirt (that is why Inter wear 1 star (13 Scudetto’s), Milan wear 1 star (17 Scudetto’s) and Juventus wear 2 stars (28 Scudetto’s)).
After “The Golden Era” the next Scudetto came in 1971 under the guidance of another famous manager – Gianni Invernizzi. It was another 11 years until the Nerazzurri won their 12th Scudetto and their latest championship victory came in 1989, 16 years ago. The 1990’s was a very dry era in terms of trophies for the Nerazzurri with only 3 UEFA Cups one. But they haven’t been short of controversy. The biggest of these coming in the “Season of Poison” (97/98) where Juventus effectively “cheated” their way to the Scudetto when Inter seemed favourites to win the championship. The new Millennium has started off with a bang to. 05-05-02 is a painful date for any Inter fans. Inter were leading the Scudetto with one matchday to go. Inter traveled to the Olimpico to play Lazio with 40000 Inter fans in Rome. The celebrations were all set – but then, tradgedy. Lazio won 4-2 and Inter finished 3rd in the league. In that same year the controversial move to Real Madrid for Ronaldo also occurred and the Brazilian has had to face the wrath of the Inter fans ever since.
The 2004/2005 has been heralded as a fresh start for Inter under Roberto Mancini and hopefully – the manager will be able to give the millions of Inter fans some pride after going through years of their city rivals Milan winning and winning.
FORZA INTER!