Inter look for Serie A & Coppa Italia double to absorb Champions League finance blow

Inter Milan’s shock elimination by Bodo/Glimt at the Champions League playoff stage has left a significant dent in the club’s finances, but the path to recovery may lie closer to home than expected.

The exit cost Inter dearly, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, UEFA’s €15 million prize for reaching the last 16, plus matchday revenue at San Siro, represented meaningful income for Oaktree’s balance sheet. Cristian Chivu’s side had entered the competition as reigning runners-up, making the defeat all the more damaging in terms of both image and finances.

Inter look to recoup UCL losses through Scudetto & Coppa double

Yet the response from within the club has been measured rather than panicked, and for good reason.

Inter remain in a commanding position to deliver a domestic double for the first time since José Mourinho’s treble-winning season of 2009-10.

In Serie A, Chivu has established a ten-point lead over second-placed Milan, a record points tally through 26 games for a first-time Inter manager. In Coppa Italia, they face Como in the semi-finals, with Atalanta or Lazio awaiting in the final at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on 13 May.

The financial reward for achieving both would help offset the European exit. The Serie A title brings approximately €16 million in television revenue distribution, while Coppa Italia winners pocket just over €7 million.

It will not fully replace Champions League income, but combined with potential player sales, a domestic double would go a long way, and make Chivu a permanent part of Inter’s history in the process.