It would be just Inter’s luck at the Champions League group draw a week ago. Last year Inter had the privilege of playing against Man United in the first round of the 16 club knockout. After that defeat they were forced into a second seed selection this season.
And unfortunately, Inter landed in Group F right along side rival powerhouse and last year treble winner Barcelona. Groans filled the room as club officials expressed their fears of ending up in Group F. Some men even celebrated when discovering that they were not in the ridiculous group now known simply as Group Fear.
And Inter probably is not a fan of the lottery system that the UEFA Champions League is so fond of using, but as fans of the game of football lets be honest. This is the group that we really wanted to see. Two of the strongest clubs in all of the world dealt with one another this off season and both clubs left the bartering table pleased with their new star player and a little sad about losing an MVP caliber star.
As I said a month ago when Inter and Barca meet on the pitch it would be a battle of Rocky type of proportions. Samuel Eto’o, a man that executed perfectly as a striker for Barca last year, was overlooked by his championship squad and dealt away for a supposed upgrade. Think Mr. Eto’o has something to prove. You better believe it.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the best goal scorers in the modern day game, desired a new challenge in La Liga and was able to get his dream deal completed. But upon his departure from Serie A, Mr. Ibs (as we call him hear at SATO) branded Italian football “boring and dirty” and expressed his happiness for leaving the league that made him a star.
The stories have already be written and the rivalry is clearly present. Who got away with the better deal? We might not know the answer to that question for a very long time, but this September will be a month to remember. For the first time these two clubs will play each other in a high stakes match and it could end with one club advancing onto the next stage of the tournament and the other going home early.
