Inter win 2009-10 Serie A title

Nerazzurri retain the Scudetto once again...

Inter have won the 2009-10 Serie A title following an away win over Siena on the final day of the season.

Jose Mourinho's men defeated the already-relegated Tuscans 1-0 thanks to top-scorer Diego Milito's winner on 57 minutes.

The Nerazzurri finished the campaign two points above Roma with 82 points from 38 games, earned via 24 wins, 10 draws and just four losses. Inter also went the whole season unbeaten at home, just as they did last year.

This is Inter's fourth consecutive Scudetto on the pitch since the Calciopoli scandal, and the fifth in succession if you count the title handed out in the courts in 2006.

It is also coach Mourinho's second Scudetto on the spin since arriving at the club in the summer of 2008, and the Portuguese will complete an incredible treble next Saturday of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League if Inter beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup final at Santiago Bernabeu.

• Inter homepage
• Serie A League table

Inter spent heavily in the summer of 2009 following yet another disappointing European campaign in 2008/09 where they were dumped out at the second round of the Champions League by Manchester United.

Head-to-Head with Roma 8 Nov 09 INT 1-1 ROM Vucinic 13', Eto'o 48' 27 Apr 10 ROM 2-1 INT De Rossi 17', Milito 66', Toni 73'

President Massimo Moratti opened his cheque book to splash the cash on Genoa duo Diego Milito and Thiago Motta, Real Madrid technician Wesley Sneijder, while Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o arrived in a blockbuster player plus cash exchange deal that saw star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic go the other way.

It proved to be money well spent as all four players, particularly Milito and Sneijder, have excelled to ensure a magnificent double that could turn into a treble after the trip to Madrid.

The Serie A season didn't start too promisingly as Inter followed the Supercoppa Italiana loss to Lazio by only drawing at home to newly promoted Bari in week one.

Class Acts | Mou & Wes were key factors in Scudetto success

Soon, the Nerazzurri got into their stride, though, with a humiliating 4-0 thumping of city rivals Milan in week two that signalled the massive divide between the two cousins.

Inter then won eight of their next nine league games, including a stunning 5-0 win at Genoa, although they did lose their first Serie A match of the season at Sampdoria.

Despite a loss at bitter enemies Juventus at the beginning of December, by the time 2010 came along Inter were in complete control at the top of Serie A and it seemed they would breeze to another Scudetto.

Top League Scorers Milito - 22 Eto'o - 12 Balotelli - 9 Maicon - 6 Motta - 4 Sneijder - 4 Pandev - 3 Cambiasso - 3

Another five wins from six in the league, including a 2-0 nine-man victory over Milan again, consolidated this dominance. The January signing of Goran Pandev from Lazio on a free transfer added extra quality to the attack, and Pandev scored a brilliant free kick against the Rossoneri.

REACTION

• to come

But Inter then embarked on a worrying run of form that let Milan, and especially Roma - who had been miles behind after a dreadful start to the season that had seen them lose their opening two games and coach Luciano Spalletti - into the Scudetto race.

Inter Player of the Season Wesley Sneijder

Inter drew three league games on the trot against Parma, Napoli and Sampdoria, beat Udinese 3-2 away, before going another three matches without a win - including a 3-1 defeat at Catania.


After Milan's form dropped in March and April, it became a direct two-horse race for the Scudetto between Inter and Roma. When the latter won the direct head-to-head at the Stadio Olimpico on March 27, the Giallorossi closed to within one point of Inter at the top of the table.

A 2-2 draw at Fiorentina on April 10 then allowed Roma to move ahead of Inter for the first time. The Scudetto was now in Roma's hands and they could see the finish line in sight after winning the derby against Lazio. But, the Giallorossi inexplicably lost at home to Sampdoria in week 35.

With three games remaining, Inter were two points clear. The Nerazzurri won their last three games, beating Lazio 2-0, Chievo 4-3 and Siena 1-0 to clinch yet another Scudetto.