Romelu Lukaku has revealed how Inter Milan turned their season around after some early bumps in the road.
Speaking to US broadcaster CBS Sports, via FCInterNews, the Belgian explained to Thierry Henry where the real turning point came for the Nerazzurri to get to the Champions League final, also looking back on how tough his struggles with injury have been this season.
Inter are in the final of the Champions League.
Few will have expected this in the fall, when the Nerazzurri were still looking to find their feet. A wobbly preseason continued had continued into a start to the Serie A campaign where Inter didn’t look at their best on the pitch.
Then, the Nerazzurri were handed a brutal Champions League group stage draw with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It was clear that a massive change was required if Inter were to avoid falling at the first hurdle in the competition.
Romelu Lukaku Explains How Simone Inzaghi Turned Inter Milan Around
One player who never stopped believing in the Champions League was Lukaku – Inter President Steven Zhang revealed.
The Belgian stated that “It’s been a very difficult season for us, but in the end we all gave our all. And in the last month we’ve put things right in the league and made it to the finals in the cup competitions.”
“Being there at the final act of the Champions League is massive for us,” he said.
Of the impact of coach Simone Inzaghi, Lukaku looked back that “The coach deserves great credit for what we’ve achieved.”
“Two years ago we won the Scudetto mainly by taking advantage of the counterattack,” he observed. “Then last season Inter used the counterattack sometimes, and ball possession sometimes as well.”
“This season, we started off trying to play with very high pressure,” he looked back. “But we conceded too many goals, and that cost us several points.”
“So Inzaghi changed things around, and the results have been clear.”
“Now we have a lower defensive line, and attack quickly,” Lukaku noted.
The Belgian explained that “That was the turning point.”
Lukaku Declares – Don’t Care If We Get Real Madrid Or Man City
Next, Lukaku was asked if he’d rather get Manchester City or Real Madrid out of today’s other Champions League semifinal.
“I don’t think it matters,” the 30-year-old said. “City and Real are two great teams.”
“Guardiola has a different tactical plan for each match which causes problems for English opposition,” he noted. “Ancelotti can count on two top-class wingers in Vinicius and Rodrygo, and numerous other world-class players, like Valverde who’s reaching the top level.”
Inter Milan Striker Romelu Lukaku Opens Up About Injury
Inter striker Lukaku noted that “Now the squad is almost complete, and the coach can rotate as he likes. This works because no matter who plays, they give their best.”
“On a personal level, I can say that I’m doing very well now, but I’ve suffered a lot,” he admitted.
The Belgian looked back on “Some very tough months with my injury, especially because the seriousness of the problem wasn’t immediately clear.”
“Then I went to Qatar, but I wasn’t in good condition, and then after I was out again.”
“I worked hard to get back in shape, and now we want to finish this season in the best way possible,” the Inter striker had no doubt.
