Europe’s most intense calendar

Inter Milan is chasing a historic treble—Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League—but the journey is pushing the squad to its physical and mental limits. With 49 official matches already played this season and the potential to reach 60 if they advance to both finals, Simone Inzaghi’s team is feeling the toll of an unforgiving schedule.

In the lead-up to the semifinal first leg against Barcelona on April 30, Inter faces a brutal week: a league visit to fifth-place Bologna, a crucial Coppa Italia semifinal return leg against AC Milan (after a 1–1 draw in the first leg), and a key Serie A clash against Roma at home.

“We are in a serious state of emergency,” warned Inzaghi weeks ago after eliminating Bayern Munich, and those words now resonate even louder. The squad, full of experienced but aging players, is stretched thin and facing a very real risk of physical burnout.

The toll on the players

Forward Marcus Thuram didn’t hide the strain. After the hard-fought draw against Bayern at the Giuseppe Meazza, which secured their Champions League semifinal spot, he admitted: “At the end of the match, we were practically dead.”

And the marathon isn’t over. After facing Barcelona, Inter still has to play against Verona, Torino, Lazio, and Como in the final weeks of the Serie A. With Napoli just three points behind, the title race remains wide open and every point counts.

While Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, arrives with fresher legs and more rotation options, Inter Milan must rely on resilience, squad depth, and perhaps a bit of luck to stay alive on all fronts.

The ambition is clear: reach the Champions League final and secure domestic glory. But with players fatigued and the schedule unforgiving, Inter walks a fine line between greatness and collapse.