I have no regrets about dismissing Gasperini; Inter Milan performed terribly under his coaching, and the players did not endorse his tactics. I am willing to congratulate him on his success in Bergamo. Moratti recalled his decision to change coaches once again in November 2023.
Atalanta lost to Inter once more, but Gasperini remains unconvinced. After the game, Gasperini denied that he had underestimated the Italian Super Cup, stating that Atalanta created some scoring opportunities, but their luck was not good. He also mentioned that there was an issue with Inter's first goal, as the corner kick should not have existed.
Gasperini probably did not anticipate the outburst from Denzel Dumfries in this match, where the Inter winger's two goals were worth 5 million euros.
According to the bonus distribution plan for this year's Italian Super Cup reported by the Italian media, the two teams that lose in the semi-finals will receive 1.6 million euros each. The team that loses in the final will get 5 million euros, while the winning team will take home 8 million euros. Additionally, the 16 Serie A teams that did not participate in the Italian Super Cup will share 140,000 euros.
Dumfries' overhead kick left Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi helpless, who was once a transfer target for Inter. In the summer of 2023, Inter considered bringing in Carnesecchi to replace the departing Onana, but he ultimately decided to stay at Atalanta. Now, he has attracted interest from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Dumfries' powerful long-range shot once again made Carnesecchi the backdrop, and upon seeing this goal, Simone Inzaghi relaxed. He substituted Bastoni and Hakimi, followed by Dimarco and Barella.
With a post-tax annual salary of 4 million euros, Dumfries has evolved after renewing his contract, with fans claiming that he is not much worse than Achraf Hakimi. Hakimi is indeed strong and highly paid, earning a post-tax annual salary of 10 million euros. In comparison, Dumfries offers better value for money.
Hakimi gets the job done with his money, having played 21 times this season, scoring 3 goals and providing 7 assists. His shooting accuracy rate in the league is 47%, and his pass success rate is 91%. He contributes an average of 2.29 interceptions per game, helping Paris Saint-Germain rank first in the league, 10 points ahead of Marseille.
Lautaro, who shares the same agent as Hakimi, has been struggling since his contract renewal and has now become a "poisonous contract," making it difficult to find a buyer.
Inter fans jokingly told Gasperini: "You can't win even with 12 against 10, what excuse do you have?" Lautaro wasted several chances in this game and once again received the lowest score from the Italian media in the post-match ratings.
Initially, Lautaro's agent demanded a high price from Inter and rumors spread that Paris Saint-Germain was interested. It is likely that these rumors were spread by Lautaro's agent to put pressure on Inter.
Looking back, if Paris Saint-Germain had not made a move and Skriniar had agreed to Inter's top salary offer, they would have been stuck with him. Marotta faced Lautaro's agent's relentless pressure and eventually gave in. Lautaro, with a post-tax annual salary of 9 million euros, has repeatedly given the worst performance on the field, causing dissatisfaction among many Inter fans. Some bluntly stated: "Lautaro's form is not even good enough for a Chinese Super League team."
Reporter Mario bluntly said after the game: "Inter's matches cannot turn into attempts to let Lautaro score goals."
Inter won this match but also suffered some losses, with Thuram being substituted early due to discomfort. Inzaghi is unsure if he will be able to play in the final and will observe his condition over the next few days.
The other semi-final of the Italian Super Cup is between Juventus and AC Milan. Bastoni stated that regardless of the opponent, Inter wants revenge. To mention, Inter lost to AC Milan and drew with Juventus. Some Inter fans want to face AC Milan.