May 5th: From tragedy to triumph

The fifth of May is a date that affects many. A date in the world of football, when a lot seems to happen. Everything from the league being decided, to cup finals being played and for Inter in particular, it’s a date that is attached to the spinal cord. Today on May 5, Siavoush Fallahi and Danny Hansen have summarized the two major events in the Inter World that have taken place on May 5 with the purpose of, just for a second, take us back to both the suffering in 2002, the joy in 2010 and the current in 2013 with the fantastic Juventus which can secure the league title, while Inter fail further down the standings. Enjoy the reading as Danny Hansen begins the article by telling you about May 5 2002.

It was May 5, 2002… The curse was about to be broken. Everything was set up for Inter to win the Scudetto again. It had been 13 years since the last time, when coach Trappatoni’s Inter dei Record outperformed all opposition and won the title during the season of 1988/89. Inter had been close several times, not least during the 1997/98 season when the events at the Stadio delle Alpi on April 28 halted a beckoning Scudetto.

Inter had recovered from the previous season which had been a great failure with a fifth place in Serie A and the embarrassing exit from Champions League after the matches against Helsingborg. The new coach Héctor Cúper had sorted out the previously miserable defensive game with acquisitions such as goalkeeper Francesco Toldo and defender Marco Materazzi. In thhe attack, Christian Vieri was free from injuries for the first time since he came to the club and during the second half of the season even the great star Ronaldo had returned from an injury that kept him out for almost two years.

In a season where first, the big surprise Chievo long topped the standings, three potential title winners crystallizd during the season’s second half: Inter, Juventus and Roma. When Inter defeated Roma 3-1 at home at the San Siro in the 28th round, it seemed as if Inter took a big step towards the title as the club then went into sole lead in the standings, three points ahead of Roma and four ahead of Juventus. The following round the lead increased against Juventus to six points and it seemed then that the battle would be between Inter and Roma. After a home defeat against Atalanta the competition drew closer to Inter at the top but in the third round from the end it looked as if Inter would again increase the lead. While Inter had the lead with 2-1 away against Chievo it seemed as if Juventus would drop points away against Piacenza in a match that seemed to end 0-0. Inter were, at the time four points ahead of Roma and five ahead of Juventus. In just a few minutes, however, the conditions for the final two rounds changed dramatically. First Pavel Nedved managed to score at Piacenza in the 87th minute and then Cossato leveled the score for Chievo at Stadio Bentegodi when the clock was at 45:21 of the second half. After all three top teams won convincingly in the penultimate round, the top of the standing looked as follows: Inter 69 points, Juventus 68 points and Roma 67 points…

All three top teams had away games in the final round that looked as follows: Lazio-Inter, Udinese-Juventus and Torino-Roma. On paper, Inter seemed to have the toughest opposition in the form of Lazio, which, however, had a difficult season. The champions from 1999/00 was seventh in the standings and the only thing they had to play for was a place in the UEFA Cup. Among Lazio supporters there were, however, many who were hoping for a win for Inter. Why? In the event of a victory for Lazio, there was a risk that local rivals Roma would pass Inter and win the Scudetto for the second year in a row and most Laziali did probably agree that it was worth sacrificing a place in the UEFA Cup to avoid having to experience that. For Juventus a tough match was waiting at Stadio Friuli where they would meet an Udinese that risked being relegated in case of a loss or a draw. Roma clearly had the easiest opponent since the only thing team Torino had to play for was the possibility of avoiding a round in the Intertoto Cup which they had already qualified for.

Sunday, May 5, 2002 was a sunny day in Italy, and the conditions for playing football was the very best. The league was set to be decided. In Udine, Juventus and Trezeguet got off to a flying start by taking the lead as the clock stood at 1:08. Del Piero then extended the lead to 2-0 in the eleventh minute and at the time Juventus were the new champions. When Lazio keeper Peruzzi minutes later failed to handle the ball on a corner at the Stadio Olimpico, Vieri was there and scored to get Inter back in the lead in the standings. A lead that first was lost when Lazio’s Poborsky made it 1-1 with a shot from close range after 20 minutes and then was regained when Luigi Di Biagio headed in a corner from the same side as Vieri’s goal. Inter’s lead seemed to last until half time when the current Inter player Dejan Stankovic hit a cross from the right which first was headed away by Ivan Cordoba before Vratislav Greško made ​​the mistake that made ​​him the the least popular player in Inter in the 2000s. In what was to be his last game with Inter, the Slovakian chose to try to head the ball back to goalkeeper Toldo, which was perceived by Poborsky who could score his second goal of the day. At halftime Juventus, who controlled their lead against Udinese, were champions ahead of Inter and Roma.

In the second half a shaken Inter began a hectic, but frustrated, hunt for goals. Instead, Diego Simeone (who came to Inter 2003) scored a goal for the home team by heading a free kick into the goal. Inter continued their hunt for goals and lined up chances. At one point, Lazio’s Giuseppe Favalli (another player who went to Inter later) was close to scoring an own goal. Coach Héctor Cúper continued smoking nervously on the coaching bench and made his first substitution in the 60th minute when midfielder Stéphane Dalmat came on for Conceição in the hope that the goals would come.

With twenty minutes left to play Juventus where champions and Inter remained in second place. That position was overtaken, however, by Roma when Antonio Cassano gave Roma the lead in Turin in the 68th minute. Inter continued their pursuit of goals and in the 72nd minute Emre came on in instead of Cristiano Zanetti. A minute later, when César (who came to Inter 2006) dribbled Zanetti and made a cross that Simone Inzaghi headed in for 4-2, it was over for Inter. Ronaldo, who was sold to Real Madrid in the following summer, had not managed to score and in a last ditch effort he was substituted for Mohammed Kallon in the 78th minute. Inter didn’t score any goals and Inter supporters had to wait a few more years to celebrate a Scudetto. On May 5 2002, us Interisti wept and on the unforgettable television images we could see that Ronaldo did the same as he was sitting on Inter’s substitutes’ bench…

It was the 5 May 2010… (Siavoush Fallahi) We were few Interisti who was totally confident that Zlatan’s two goals against Parma in the final round in 2008 had changed Inter’s mentality. Even though the team won the league title the following year relatively simple, it was now time for the moment of truth, a chance at a triple. It would begin on a date and at a venue that still gives us the creeps. But let’s take it back a bit.

Before the season the team’s big star was sold. Many fingers were pointed against Inter. “Zlatan did everything, now you’re done.” Inter brought in player after player, but the last piece of the puzzle was missing. An offensive creator and when Wesley Sneijder arrived on the last day of the transfer window, Mourinho said: “This is the Inter I dreamed of.” When the team, the day after, defeated Milan 0-4 many Interisti understood that this was the Inter we had dreamed of and that we deserved to see. A team that went through the season with a fantastic mentality, who won in all competitions, and that when the season would tighten stood with the opportunity to bring home all three titles they were in the fight for. José Mourinho had gone out during the season and been harsh on Roma, Juventus and Milan. They had players Mourinho wanted, or winning mentality and tradition, but they would all end the season with “Zeru Titoli”. The first step would be to avoid “Zero Titoli” would be taken on a date and at a venue that gave the creeps. The Cup final against Roma was scheduled for May 5, 2010, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Ten days before the final, Inter had overtaken Roma thanks to two goals from Giampaolo Pazzini. Roma won the last meeting between the two teams at the Olimpico with 2-1 and the team was charged to win a title. Would Inter themselves become the team that finished the season with ‘Zeru Titoli “? Or was the focus on the league and the upcoming Champions League final. Would Roma bring home the title that was designed for them while Inter, once again, won the league? The questions were many, but this time football gave the answer we Interisti were waiting for, but it would not be easy.

Mourinho fielded a starting eleven where Walter Samuel (he was substituted against an injured Cordoba) and Materazzi formed the center-back pair. Maicon and Chivu played wing backs. Zanetti, Cambiasso and Motta chewed grass on the midfield. Milito and Eto’o started in attack and Sneijder, who was doubtful before the game, started as trequartista. It took just two minutes before you could read what kind of game it would be. Interowned Burdisso put his cleats into the thigh on the previously doubtful Sneijder, the Dutchman was carried out injured and Burdisso was not even warned. Rizzoli had lost the game after just three minutes and Inter had to do without their talisman Sneijder, out came Mario Balotelli who always has done well against Roma. 4-3-3 for Inter.

The match had high intensity and chances were created, a player that took chances was Mexes who punched Materazzi both once and twice, without referee Rizzoli doing anything. Before the break, however, Diego Milito started his journey into the blue and black history books. Roma was careless in their setup and played the ball to Thiago Motta, Thiago perceived that his friend from the time in Genoa found a good space for a counter attack and played directly in the deep to Milito. Alone, surrounded by Roma players, Milito did the only thing possible in the situation, he took on all and drilled the ball into the top corner. Before the game was completed, Totti was sent off for an ugly kick on Balotelli and Taddei was fighting with some Inter players. Roma regarded their chance to be going for the knockout, but the only knock during the evening was signed by Diego Milito and May 5, 2010 was an evening during which history was changed. There, a decisive match at Olimpico in Rome stained by black and blue triumph and not sorrow, tears and despair. There are few as beautiful videos from the triple season as when Pazza Inter Amala played at Olimpico in Rome.

Eleven days later, Inter also won the league title and the triple was completed on May 22, 2010. The first step towards the legendary triple and the history books was taken May 5, 2010, symbolically enough, on the anniversary of the terrible league ending in 2002. Zero Titoli was nothing for Mourinho’s Inter and on the anniversary of May 5, we recall the incredible summer of 2010. No matter how much Greskos mistake hurt us May 5th 2010, it was nothing compared to the incredible joy we felt during the treble. Ironically, our black and white antagonists will, just like 2002, be able to celebrate a Scudetto on May 5 This time, however, it hurts a lot less than in 2002.