Paul Ince: Playing for Inter Milan were two of the best years of my life

Former Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince spoke to Squawka about the Nerazzurri‘s upcoming Champions League Final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Ince talked about the importance of winning the Champions League, the impact it could have on Simone Inzaghi’s future and the job the Italian has done.

The former Manchester United midfielder also looked back on his time in Italy and the difference between European nights for Inter Milan and English clubs.

Jump to:

• Champions League Final predictions
• The importance of winning the Champions League
• Fond memories of time at Inter Milan
• European nights in Italy
• Simone Inzaghi’s future

How do you see the 2025 Champions League final going? Who do you think comes out on top, and why?

I think Inter will come out on top, and I hope Inter come out on top. I believe they will come out on top. If anything, just from their experience and obviously they’ve still got a bit of a pill from losing against Man City. I think that might leave a bad taste in their mouths and now they’ve got another opportunity to do it against a young PSG side, so to speak in the Champions League.

Inter have got players who’ve experienced it before and knows what it takes. Big game players. And PSG, we know how many years the pressure has been on them to win a Champions League. And they’ve tried with (Lionel) Messi and Neymar and (Kylian) Mbappe and it’s not worked. And so there will be that kind of pressure on PSG to come up trumps. So I just think the experience might be a major factor in winning it.

• Read more: PSG vs Inter Milan predictions, odds and betting tips

How important is it for Inter that they win the Champions League, especially after losing in the final a few years ago?

Listen, I think it’s very important. I think for any team to win the Champions League when you’re getting there. I think it would be massive for PSG, just because they’ve tried for so long. And I think it’d be massive for Inter because of the experience they had a few years ago. And obviously they’ve not won it since 2010, and they’ve been very good in the past two or three years in the league.

I think it’s massive for both clubs, I don’t think there’s a different level for how big it is for both teams. It’s a final, both teams want to win it. Both teams are actually capable of winning it. And we’ll see who comes out on top.

You only spent a couple of seasons at Inter Milan, facing a lot of racism while in Italy. Do you have any fond memories of your time at the club?

Oh yeah, they were great memories. When I left Manchester United, I could have gone to so many other teams. But after speaking to Massimo Moratti, who was the other here, it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. It was probably one of the greatest, because when you go in there, you’re learning a new language, a new culture and environment. The fans absolutely adored me. 

Obviously the first three or four months it was kind of hard to settle in, because you’ve got to learn the language and you’ve got to adjust, and you don’t have anywhere to stay at that moment – I was living out of a hotel. But once we moved into our apartment in Lake Como and I started to learn the language, Roy Hodgson came as manager. Then the whole thing changed.

The fans idolised me. They were two of the best years of my life. As I’ve said, I would have stayed. I’d have signed a two-year or three-year contract, and we were also signing Ronaldo for the year after, which was a bit of a bugger! But obviously for family reasons, I decided to come back. It’s not something I’d say I’d regret, but I do regret because I think I would have probably been there now. Because when I look at Javier Zanetti, he’s the vice president. We came to Inter at the same time. The first day, we were there together. So we signed at the same time and he signed for €650,000 believe it or not. And we became very good friends. So when I see him still there now, I think, maybe I could have been still there. Because the place was fantastic and I loved it there. But we always know that family comes first, and that’s more important than anything.

You didn’t get to play in the Champions League with Inter Milan, but you played in the Uefa Cup for them. What were European nights like at the San Siro and for Inter in general with the fans?

Yeah it was kind of weird. Because I spent a lot of time playing in the European Cup with Manchester United, as an English team. And those nights were great. But it felt kind of weird playing for a European team, in another country, in a different environment and a different kind of support. The fans are so passionate, they’ve got all the fireworks going and you wouldn’t see that in England, playing in a European Cup game. 

And it felt a little bit surreal sometimes, because the pace was a lot slower than it was in the Premier League. It felt strange, it was kind of tough to get used to. And I remember we lost to Schalke on penalties, which I was devastated about because me and (Youri) Djorkaeff got suspended for the first leg in Schalke, and we lost that 1-0. We played in the second leg and we absolutely battered them 1-0, we couldn’t score, we were hitting the bar and everything, and lost on penalties. And that was the final, and the atmosphere was electric.

But it was one of those where the fans probably understood, because we had so many chances, it just wasn’t going to be our day. We could have played for another two hours and we wouldn’t have scored. But that was disappointing, because it was a chance to win a European title. But yeah it was different. The fans were so passionate, and they are passionate, the ultras. And the fans, they’re passionate and if you’re doing well, they love you. As I said, I loved it out there.

Simone Inzaghi has been linked with a few clubs this summer, trying to steal him from Inter Milan. Do you think it’s important that Inter keep hold of him?

If he wins on Saturday, I think he’ll be looking to maybe try something else, I do. He’s won the Scudetto, he’s got a chance of winning the Champions League. There’s not much more he can do than that. I’d obviously love to see him stay and I’m sure the fans will. But I think sometimes you might want to move on and try something different, like managers do, and players do.

So I think it’s just a case of what happens on Saturday night. I think if he loses it, then he’ll feel obliged to stay. He might want to stay anyway and try again next year. But if he wins, he might be thinking, ‘well, there’s not much more I can do’ and he might want to decide to move on. But you can understand he’s going to attract interest. He’s done a great job, Simone.

And it’s funny because his brother Filippo was probably the more famous one. But when I see him on the touchline, and the demands he puts on his players, he doesn’t stop. He’s a bit like (Antonio) Conte and (Diego) Simeone. They just don’t stand still. And they’re always demanding for 95 minutes. And the players react to that. That’s what you need. We talk about strong mentality players, and if the manager is yelling at you all the time… But these players seem to respond to it. And he’s done a fantastic job there.

What do you think about the job Inzaghi’s done at Inter – even if they end another season without a trophy?

He’s done a fantastic job as I’ve said, to come to Inter and win the Scudetto. Obviously losing the Champions League final is going to be something that might wrangle with him, hence why he wants it so badly on Saturday. But what he’s done is he’s built a team, he’s built a formation where the players know what to do and they know their jobs. They can go both ways. They can play without possession, they can play with possession. And it seems like a good camaraderie there amongst them.

I can’t remember if I actually played against him, I think I might have done. But he’s one of those players that you kind of look at and think, you can’t imagine them being a manager. And now you see him, he’s a hell of a manager. And listen, managers want to try different things. So there are two scenarios here. They lose, and he stays on, which is good for Inter. Or they win the Champions League and he moves on. Inter can’t lose, so we’ll see.

Paul Ince was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the Uefa Champions League, which is hosting its Big Ticket Giveaway Game this Friday 30th May in Munich from 4pm, where fans have the chance to win tickets to the Uefa Champions League Final. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Gamble Responsibly. Full interview can be found at bet365 News.