Between 2010 and 2020 Inter has gone through several changes. This includes 3 different owners, 13 different coaches and even more players. Some of them have made the history of the club, some have quietly come and gone. Here’s a list of ten players, one per year, that have been forgotten.
In the summer of 2010 the Nerazzurri were the best team of Italy and Europe. That team must have had a real appeal to incoming players. In that transfer session the most notable forgettable face was Marko Livaja. The number 88 joined as a future prospect but never lived up to it. He totaled 6 appearances with the first team without ever scoring. In 2013 he leaves for Atalanta goalless.
In the 11/12 season, several players of the worst Inter had joined. But infamous means famous and difficult to forget. A defensive midfielder joined from Sampdoria: Angelo Palombo. The player joined on loan from Sampdoria but failed to impress making a total of three different appearances.
The 12/13 season brings me back. So many unforgettable faces. Samir Handanovic and Mateo Kovacic both joined that summer. Coutinho also left. Ezequiel Schelotto joined just so he could cry after scoring in that one derby. A man I have no memory attached to is Gaby Mudingayi. The Belgian midfielder had previously accumulated 125 appearances with Bologna and just two goals. So of course, we bought him. I mean, we needed someone to replace the departure of Sneijder.
In 13/14 players like Icardi and Hernanes had joined Inter. Icardi the last deal made by Moratti and Hernanes the first deal made by Thohir. So many forgettable talents joined us that year. Some worthy mentions are Belfodil, Taider and Ronaldo. No sorry, Rolando. But the most forgettable was Ruben Botta. A young talent bought because he was meant to be the next Messi, yet became the next Marko Livaja. After loaning him out, the Nerazzurri moved his career back to South America where it remains today.
14/15 also saw some important players join. Marcelo Brozovic for one, or the impossibly disappointing Yann M’Vila. Golden Boy Santon also enjoyed a second spell. Yet one name was so obviously the chosen one not because we do not know of him today, but because of how much we had forgotten about him for a long time. That’s because Christiano Biraghi joined that year from Cittadella for an expensive 700k. Notable mentions include Dodo and Rene Khrin.
Mancini’s Inter was the beginning of the team we see today. Perisic, Felipe Melo, Kondogbia, Jovetic, Ljajic, Eder and others that began an era of ‘not too bad’. Yet in 15/16 we bought two full-backs that are difficult to remember. One of the two is currently considered one of the top 10 in the world, and the other came from Barcelona. Of course I’m talking of Alex Telles and Martin Montoya. None of the two ever contributed enough to be remembered, yet Montoya came from such a background that being a Forgettable is even more shameful.
In 16/17 some true Unforgettables joined Inter. But the winner is: Gabigol. Just kidding, the Brazilian gave us experiences we had never felt before. Watching him play was like an erotic dream and a nightmare together. His opposite of that year was a stunner. A player that came and left so fast he might have had one of those Gabigol dreams. And the prize goes to… Caner Erkin. The player that joined and left during the same transfer session due to the coach change between Mancini and Spalletti.
In 17/18 all of the players are easily rememberable. It is impossible to forget… Lisandro Lopez. The players most notable highlights from his time at Inter are found on Icardi’s Instagram. In fact the two became and still are good friends.
18/19 saw players like Keita Balde, Lautaro and Nainggolan join the team. Between these unforgettable names one made it’s way to Milan during the winter transfer market. I’m talking of Cedric Soares. The player joined on loan from Southampton in the winter and never left a mark in his 4 appearances.
In the last summer session big names joined, and even the smaller ones seemed to be notable. Yet it is tough to remember Lucien Agoume. A player I personally believed to have come from the youth team, was actually bought from Sochaux for 4.5 Million. The young promise has already managed to get some minutes in under Antonio Conte showing some talent.
Who is your favorite forgotten player of the past decade?