Inter Milan has secured a historic domestic double, defeating SS Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico and claiming their 10th national cup trophy. The victory caps off a dominant 2025-26 campaign that saw the Nerazzurri clinch their 21st Scudetto with three matches to spare, marking only the third time in club history—and the first since 2010—that Inter has swept both major Italian honors in a single season.
Why This Matters
• Historic achievement: Inter joins elite company, becoming only the fifth Italian club ever to complete the Scudetto-Coppa Italia double, and only the second Inter coach—Cristian Chivu—to deliver both trophies in his debut season.
• Lazio's missed opportunity: The defeat not only denied the Biancocelesti silverware but also eliminated their last path to Europa League qualification after a turbulent season marred by financial restrictions and fan protests.
• Domestic dominance on display: The Nerazzurri finished the Serie A campaign with 85 points from 36 matches, led by captain Lautaro Martínez, who topped the league scoring charts with 17 goals.
A Final Decided Early
The match was effectively settled within the opening half-hour. Inter struck first in the 14th minute when Federico Dimarco whipped in a corner that Marcus Thuram flicked on at the near post, only for Lazio defender Adam Marusic to inadvertently head the ball past his own goalkeeper Ivan Motta. The own goal stunned the Biancocelesti, who never recovered their composure.
Just past the half-hour mark, Inter doubled their advantage through a moment of individual brilliance and defensive calamity. Denzel Dumfries dispossessed Nuno Tavares high up the pitch and raced into the penalty area before squaring the ball to Lautaro Martínez, who tapped home from close range. The Argentine's finish underscored his status as the team's talisman in a season where he has delivered both goals and leadership.
Lazio attempted to mount a response in the second half, with Tijjani Noslin and Boulaye Dia forcing saves, but Inter's backline—anchored by Manuel Akanji and protected by goalkeeper Josep Martínez—held firm. Substitute Luis Henrique came close to adding a third for the champions, while Piotr Zielinski also threatened late on, but the 2-0 scoreline remained intact through the final whistle.
What This Means for Italian Football
Inter's triumph reinforces their return to the pinnacle of Italian football after a period of rebuilding. The double is a statement of intent, particularly given the tactical evolution overseen by Cristian Chivu, who transitioned from coaching Inter's Primavera squad to the senior team in June 2025. The Romanian has retained the club's trademark 3-5-2 formation but introduced a more direct, vertical style that emphasizes aggressive pressing and rapid transitions—a departure from the more methodical build-up of previous campaigns.
For Lazio, the loss stings doubly. A season that began under the cloud of a transfer market ban due to breaches of three FIGC financial parameters—liquidity index, debt index, and expanded wage cost—has ended without silverware or European football. The ban, lifted in January 2026 after the club demonstrated compliance, came too late to salvage a campaign defined by inconsistency and supporter discontent. Attendance at the Olimpico dipped below 50% capacity for the first time in years, with organized fan groups staging boycotts and alternative gatherings rather than backing the team in person. Manager Maurizio Sarri, recalled to the bench after 15 months, had framed the final as a chance to "give satisfaction to the boys and the public," but his side were second-best from the opening whistle.
Chivu's Debut Season: A Masterclass in Management
Chivu's first year at the helm has defied expectations. The 44-year-old former Inter defender, who spent seven years developing talent in the club's youth system—including a Primavera Scudetto in his debut season—has translated that success to the senior stage with remarkable efficiency. His Serie A debut saw Inter demolish Torino 5-0, setting the tone for a campaign that would see them accumulate 85 points and secure the title on May 3 with a 2-0 win over Parma.
"We won two trophies we deserved," Chivu said in his post-match interview, his voice thick with emotion. "We are all happy for the fans, for us, and for the club that has always supported us. We must enjoy what we have done—it is never simple to bring a season like this to a good end and win two trophies."
Captain Lautaro Martínez echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the psychological challenge of rebounding from disappointment. "The double has enormous importance. It was not easy to restart after what happened last year. We managed to have a truly important season in terms of results, play, performance, intensity. I am happy to finish with another trophy that means so much to us."
Denzel Dumfries, who provided the assist for Lautaro's goal, was effusive in his praise for the coach. "I'm happy. After a difficult period, I returned and I'm glad to help my teammates, to make an assist for Lautaro—who was angry because I gave him too few," he joked. When asked to rate Chivu's season, Dumfries replied without hesitation: "This year he's a 10 out of 10."
Historical Context: The Rare Double
Inter's 2025-26 double places them in rarefied company. Only five Italian clubs have ever completed the Scudetto-Coppa Italia sweep: Juventus (six times, most recently in 2017-18), Inter (now three times, including the treble-winning 2009-10 season), Torino (1942-43), Napoli (1986-87), and Lazio (1999-2000). The feat underscores not only the depth of Inter's squad but also the consistency required to excel across multiple competitions over a grueling nine-month campaign.
The victory also grants Inter the right to wear the double crest on their kits next season—a symbolic nod to their dominance that carries both prestige and marketing value.
Lazio's Season of Strife
For Lazio, the final represented a last-ditch effort to salvage meaning from a season marred by off-field turmoil. The club's financial difficulties, rooted in exceeding FIGC-mandated thresholds for wage-to-revenue ratios and debt levels, resulted in a summer transfer ban that left Sarri working with a threadbare squad through the critical early months. Though the ban was lifted in January, the damage was done: Lazio sat ninth in Serie A by March, their lowest mid-season position in nearly a decade, and were absent from European competition for the first time in eight years.
The fan base, traditionally one of Serie A's most passionate, turned on club president Claudio Lotito, staging organized protests and staying away from the Olimpico in droves. The atmosphere at home matches became sterile, a far cry from the intimidating cauldron that once gave Lazio a tangible advantage. Even the return of supporters for the Coppa Italia final—a sellout crowd despite the boycotts—could not inspire a performance worthy of the occasion.
Sarri, who had described his squad as "scarce as players but content as men," was left to rue missed opportunities. "It was a match easy to understand—it would be difficult, and we needed to approach it with courage, forgetting Saturday's game," he said, referring to Inter's 3-0 league victory at the Olimpico just four days prior. "We hoped it was a mental thing and that we would be different mentally. But almost any word is superfluous—you have to believe in it until madness."
What's Next
Inter's double ensures they enter the 2026-27 season with momentum and morale sky-high. Chivu, who successfully guided Parma to Serie A safety during a brief stint earlier in 2025 before taking the Inter job, has now established himself as one of Europe's most promising young managers. The Nerazzurri will compete in next season's Champions League and will be among the favorites to defend their domestic crowns.
Lazio, meanwhile, face a summer of reckoning. Without European football and with renewed financial constraints looming under tightened FIGC regulations—the wage cost threshold drops from 0.8 to 0.7 for 2026-27—the club must offload players and generate capital gains to avoid another transfer ban. Sarri's future remains uncertain, as does the club's ability to mend fences with a disillusioned fanbase.
For now, though, the night belongs to Inter. As the final whistle blew and referee Marco Guida signaled the end of hostilities, the Nerazzurri players mobbed Chivu on the touchline, lifting the rookie manager onto their shoulders. In his first full season at the helm, the former defender has delivered a campaign for the ages—one that will be remembered not just for the silverware, but for the style and substance with which it was won.
