Serie A CEO: ‘Inter beaten only by State-owned clubs’ in PSG and Manchester City | OneFootball

Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo told Inter fans to take heart from their Champions League Final defeats, noting they lost ‘only to two State-owned clubs’ in Manchester City and PSG.

The Nerazzurri were beaten 1-0 in 2023 by Manchester City, then crushed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in 2025, in both cases with a vastly inferior budget to their opponents.

Speaking ahead of the drawing up of the new 2025-26 Serie A fixture list today, Lega chief De Siervo made comments referencing Inter’s march to the pinnacle of European football.

Inter lost Champions League Finals in 2023 and 2025

Inter vs Manchester City Champions League final.

“I tell the many Inter fans who are disappointed that they must also reflect on the fact Inter lost two Finals only to two State-owned clubs. The capacity for investment is limitless for some clubs, whereas that is not the case for others,” said De Siervo.

“So we honour Inter for representing Italian football in the top European Final. With ideas, this country can continue to teach football lessons all over the world.”

Manchester City are currently facing 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches and were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.

Paris Saint-Germain have been backed by Qatari Sports Investments since 2011, part of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 23: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli lifts the Serie A TIM Scudetto title trophy after his team’s victory in the Serie A match between Napoli and Cagliari at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on May 23, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

De Siervo also commented on the excitement level of Serie A, where the talent is spread around the league, making it more unpredictable than ever.

“We are proud to be a league where the clubs alternate in winning the Scudetto. The victories of Napoli in Serie A and Bologna in the Coppa Italia confirm our country is somewhere you can contend for success.

“That also teaches us that clubs like Parma, Fiorentina and Torino can climb the ranking and get back to the top.”