Zielinski pushes Inter to raise Champions League standards

Piotr Zielinski told reporters at Inter’s pre‑season camp in Germany that the club’s priority this season is to do better in the Champions League, echoing President Beppe Marotta’s call for a stronger European showing after the Nerazzurri’s Serie A and Coppa Italia triumphs.

The Nerazzurri secured the Double last season, winning the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia in the first campaign under coach Cristian Chivu, confirming Inter’s dominance in domestic competition.

Despite that success, Inter faltered in the Champions League, suffering an early exit in the play‑offs to Bodo/Glimt, a result the club described as below its usual level.

“Our ambitions are high, we want to repeat our success in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and add a little something extra in the Champions League,” Zielinski said. “We have a great team and we must do better in Europe than last season. The Champions League was below our usual level last season, and we certainly need to improve.”

A photo from FEBRUARY 14 shows Piotr Zielinski of FC Internazionale Milano under pressure from Jonathan David of Juventus during the Serie A match at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in MILAN, ITALY. The image captures the intensity of the encounter in the capital of Lombardy.

This was also the demand made by President Marotta in the opening press conference of the summer, and coach Cristian Chivu urged the squad to find new motivation, ambition and hunger for the new season, urging them to leave the past behind.

Luciano Spalletti remarked that Juventus would not contest the Scudetto race, prompting Zielinski to note that several strong teams will challenge Inter for the title and that the transfer market remains wide open, with three or four sides likely to emerge as serious rivals.

“I won’t hide it, we all know what it means to win the Serie A title. We’ll do everything to win the Scudetto, Coppa Italia, and give our best in the Champions League too,” Zielinski concluded, reinforcing the club’s commitment to succeed on every front.