1993/94: Inter reclaim UEFA Cup
Wednesday, June 1, 1994
Article summary
In a season in which they struggled in Serie A, FC Internazionale Milan joined the ranks of two-time UEFA Cup winners with Nicola Berti and Wim Jonk scoring in each leg of the final against Austrian contenders FC Salzburg.
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FC Salzburg 0-1 FC Internazionale Milano
(Berti 35)
FC Internazionale Milano 1-0 FC Salzburg
(Jonk 62)
(agg: 2-0 to Inter)
The UEFA Cup went to Italy for a fifth time in six seasons in 1993/94 – that it was with black and blue ribbons was down to FC Internazionale Milan. The Nerazzurri's run to the final rescued a poor domestic campaign in which they were a point away from relegation.
Inter began with wins against FC Rapid Bucureşti and Apollon Limassol FC. Less routine, however, was their third-round tie against Norwich City FC, conquerors of FC Bayern München: two single-goal victories carried them through to a quarter-final with BV Borussia Dortmund, which they edged 4-3 on aggregate. Elsewhere in the draw, OFI Crete FC had surprised SK Slavia Praha and Club Atlético de Madrid before going out to Boavista FC, while the real emerging threat was that of FC Salzburg.
They sailed past FC DAC Dunajská Streda and R. Antwerp FC, the previous year's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finalists, before coming from behind to beat Sporting Clube de Portugal. Lady luck then sided with them as they overcame German opposition in the quarter and semi-finals: Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, Karlsruhe SC on away goals.
Inter were more convincing when defeating Cagliari Calcio in an all-Italian semi-final, and they carried that form into the final. Nicola Berti's first-half strike divided the sides in Vienna, while another goal from a midfield player, the Dutch international Wim Jonk, doubled Inter's advantage at San Siro.