Former Inter midfielder Youri Djorkaeff believes that the Nerazzurri played well this season and fought to the end of the campaign, but that they were held back by a failure to take their game to the next level.

Speaking outside the Integration Heroes charity game at the San Siro, the Frenchman gave his thoughts on a season that saw the Nerazzurri win two trophies and make encouraging progress on the pitch but which ended in a disappointing failure to win the Serie A title.

The Nerazzurri dispelled a lot of the uncertainty that surrounded them after a summer transfer window of upheaval and a change in coach by quickly assimilating new coach Simone Inzaghi’s ideas, and at one point looking to be clear favourites to win the Serie A title.

However, a bad slump in form in February and March suggested that there are still some kinks to be worked out in this team, and caused the team to fail to win the title.

Djoerkaeff said that “That’s how football is, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But Inter fought right until the end, but just failed to make the leap in quality. But they played very well.”