Inter Milan, the underrated brilliance: Dumfries leads the way

The New York Times praises Inter Milan as a “splendid, underrated team” and uses Denzel Dumfries as the perfect symbol of their grit, resilience, and rise

The New York Times has dedicated a feature article to Inter Milan, calling it a "splendid, underrated team." To highlight the Nerazzurri’s strength, the newspaper chooses Denzel Dumfries as the emblematic figure.

“Denzel Dumfries had a dream. But when he shared it at 17 with his youth teammates at Sparta Rotterdam, their laughter nearly crushed it. ‘He told the whole locker room he’d play for the Dutch national team one day,’ recalls Dolf Roks, then head of Sparta’s youth sector. ‘Back then, no one believed it. We all laughed.’”

Yet Dumfries never gave up. Twelve years later, he’s still bursting down the flank with unmatched energy. That movement reflects all his determination.

Now with 63 caps for the Netherlands, Dumfries truly arrived on the biggest club stage on Wednesday night: one assist and two goals for Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinal. 

Once dismissed as a curiosity or a gamble, his rise mirrors Inter Milan’s own: an underrated team that came away from Barcelona with a massive 3-3 draw. If Inter Milan go on to win the Champions League, it would be fully deserved.

This semifinal was supposed to be Barcelona’s great return to a final after a ten-year wait. At the Montjuïc—a temporary and unpopular stadium—Barça saw a record attendance of 50,314. It was supposed to be their night.

But Milan’s symbol is the Biscione, the great green snake that featured on Inter Milan’s crest until 1988. 

Like the serpent, Inter Milan strikes quietly—but lethally. They don’t have the Ballon d’Or favorite (Raphinha) or two of the world’s most hyped teenagers (Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí), but they have everything else.

Just 30 seconds in, Marcus Thuram’s smart touch sent a clear message: Inter Milan didn’t come to be spectators. Their early lead signaled a game full of grit, ideas, and character. 

No one expected them to reach the semifinals, yet Inter Milan boasts the best defense in the tournament. 

They were supposed to crumble after a 2-0 lead turned into a 2-2 draw—but instead, they nearly pulled off a shocking 4-3 win.

Dumfries, starting his first match after an eight-game injury spell, was chosen by Inzaghi over the safer option, Darmian—and the coach was rewarded. 

First, Dumfries provided the assist for Thuram’s goal. Then, at the 20th minute, he latched onto Acerbi’s header and acrobatically scored from a difficult angle. His injury? Fully behind him. “Everyone in my family has heavy feet,” he once joked. “I wish I had softer ones. Sometimes I feel clumsy.” But this time, his strike showed power and pure belief.

Even after Barcelona’s equalizer, Dumfries gave Inter Milan the lead again at 3-2. He wasn’t the only “uncelebrated” player, though.

Uncelebrated stars: Inter Milan’s power lies in its overlooked heroes

There’s Lautaro Martínez, Inter Milan captain and all-time Champions League top scorer, who recently said he felt “underrated” after finishing seventh in the 2024 Ballon d’Or. 

He didn’t score against Barcelona and went off injured—but his movement and physical presence disrupted Cubarsí and Araújo, opening space for Thuram and the wingbacks.

Other Inter Milan players are just as overlooked. For those who don’t follow Serie A, Yann Sommer is just “that Swiss guy” who shows up at every tournament—but he made key saves against Yamal and Raphinha. Conceding three goals—including an own goal—and still being one of the best on the pitch is rare.

Acerbi? A rock. Once bought by Milan to replace Nesta, then dumped after six matches. Now a Euro 2021 winner with Italy, he doesn’t even get national call-ups anymore. 

Darmian and Mkhitaryan, both written off after underwhelming spells in the Premier League, have been reborn under Inzaghi. The Armenian, once criticized for lacking effort, ran so hard he literally wore off the Nike logo on his shirt.

Three Inter Milan starters came on free transfers: Mkhitaryan, Thuram, and Calhanoglu. 

Players any club could’ve signed—but it was Inter Milan who did, a club spending less than it earns for four straight years. Among financial giants, they are the most sustainable semifinalist.

And this doesn’t even mention Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni—two of the tournament’s best performers, constantly overshadowed by flashier names like Yamal, Kvaratskhelia, or Declan Rice.

Holding it all together is Simone Inzaghi—finally getting the recognition he deserves as one of Europe’s sharpest minds. 

His Inter Milan is the most tactically distinct of the semifinalists: defensively airtight and creatively daring. Two moments prove this: Acerbi leading a counterattack after conceding a goal, and Barella, calmly juggling the ball in his own box after Yamal hit the post in stoppage time.

At the 80th minute, Inzaghi subbed Dumfries off. It’s a miracle he could still walk. But as he exited, Nerazzurri fans were already singing “Io che amo solo te.”  (a football anthem)

They sang it two years ago, after a lost final. Now, thanks to Dumfries and his two goals, they might sing it again—with a happy ending this time.

Back at PSV, Dumfries once said: “If I’m the second-best scorer on the team, something’s wrong.”
Well, now he’s Inter Milan’s third-best scorer. Maybe that means everything’s going right—for him and for this splendid, underrated team.

Source: Fcinter1908.it