Inter Milan Vice-President On Champions League Ambitions: ‘We’re Adapting To A New Format, We’re Doing Well’

Nerazzurri Vice-President Javier Zanetti feels that Inter Milan are “doing well” as they adapt to a new Champions League format.

Zanetti spoke to Radio TV Serie A, via FCInterNews. He gave his thoughts on his team’s European ambitions for the season.

Inter are certainly one of the teams who will feel that they have a chance to go far in the Champions League this season.

The Nerazzurri reached the final of Europe’s top club competition two seasons ago. They only lost narrowly in the final, falling to a 1-0 defeat against Manchester City.

In each of the other three of the last four campaigns, Inter have gone as far as the round of sixteen.

Therefore, at the very least making the knockouts is certainly the goal for Inter.

But while this is a positive thing, it also puts the team under pressure.

And this season, the Champions League is tougher and more demanding than ever.

The format has changed this season. For the first time ever, there are 36 teams in the competition rather than 32.

And rather than six group stage matches against three different opponents, Inter are facing eight different teams in the “league phase” of the competition.

And juggling these fixtures with domestic commitments has hardly been easy.

Javier Zanetti On Inter Champions League Ambitions: “Adapting To New Format, We’re Doing Well”

So far, Inter have taken seven points from a possible nine in the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri kicked off their European campaign with a hard-fought point away to Premier League juggernauts, the team that beat them in the 2023 final.

Then, there was a 4-0 thrashing of Red Star Belgrade in Inter’s second match in the competition.

Last week, Inter travelled to Switzerland to face Young Boys.

And despite the weaker opposition on paper, it was a very tough match. The Nerazzurri had to wait until stoppage time to get a 1-0 victory.

Inter Vice-President Zanetti said of the Champions League that “It’s a tournament that every club wants to be a part of.”

“We care about it a lot,” he continued.

“It won’t be easy,” Zanetti said. “But we’ll give it a go.”

“We’re adapting to a new format,” the Nerazzurri Vice-President observed. “So far we’re doing well.”