Inter Milan have had a difficult few years, last winning the Serie A under Jose Mourinho in a famous treble winning season in 2010. The current campaign has shown they can now compete at the top end of the table once more, and if you're looking for an underdog with a big name on FIFA 18’s Career Mode, Inter can be the club for you. An old school club, with plenty of grit, it may not always be pretty at the San Siro, but this season they've been getting the job done.
Team Rating
It’s a four and a half star rating for Inter Milan, which reflects their 81 overall rating. This consists of an 83 attack, 81 midfield and 78 defence.
Formation
Inter’s default system may be a 4-2-3-1, but we have adjusted this to a 4-3-3 attack to be marginally more attacking. If you want a more disciplined side, go for a 4-3-3 holding system.
Samir Handanovic goes in the net, with a back four of Joao Cancelo, Milan Skriniar, the impenetrable Miranda (88 standing tackle) and left back Dalbert.
Rafinha, Marcelo Brozovic and Borja Valero are the midfield trio, with Antonio Candreva and the tricky Ivan Perisic (86 dribbling) in the wide areas. Captain and premier marksman Mauro Icardi (90 finishing) leads the line.
On the bench, opt for Daniele Padelli, Lisandro Lopez, Davide Santon, Matias Vecino, Roberto Gagliardini, Yann Karamoh and Eder.
Tactics
With this formation, be sure to get the ball out wide as much as you can. Antonio Candreva (83 crossing) and Ivan Perisic (84 crossing) have the ability to find Mauro Icardi in the box, or drive towards the goal. Icardi’s ability in the air (92 jumping) means you should whip the ball in plenty, but you also have the option of utilising Borja Valero (89 short passing). The Spaniard’s technical ability allows you to beat defenders and find passes to the front three.
Training
Training presents the opportunity to improve your players, especially for those who are not first team regulars. To get the most out of your time, use the high growth members of the squad, these include Mauro Icardi, Roberto Gagliardini, Milan Skriniar, Joao Cancelo and Dalbert.
The Transfer Market
Starting transfer budget: £35 million
Starting wage budget: £151,000 a week
Who should go
With a very small squad, you can’t afford to let more than one player leave the club in the summer. You can let third choice goalkeeper Tommaso Berni (OVR 64) move away, and he will collect you £150,000 and free up £10,000 a week in your wage budget.
Who to sign
New transfer budget: £35 million
New wage budget: £161,000 a week
Another wide option
Your only players in wide areas are Antonio Candreva, Ivan Perisic and the on loan Yann Karamoh. Striker Eder can play there if needed, as can some of your full backs, but you need one more conventional winger. Top of your shopping list should be Hertha Berlin’s Salomon Kalou (OVR 80). The former Chelsea man may be 31, but for £19.4 million and £33,000 a week wages you can’t really complain. The left midfielder or striker has attributes of 87 dribbling, 85 ball control and 84 penalties making him a superb option off the bench.
Alternative options:
- Lautaro Acosta – Atletico Lanus, Age 29, OVR 78, POT 78, Cost: £10 million, Wage: £21,000
- Joaozinho – Krasnodar, Age 28, OVR 78, POT 78, Cost: £11 million, Wage: £41,000
- Ignacio Piatti – Montreal Impact, Age 32, OVR 80, POT 80, Cost: £14.7 million, Wage: £12,000
- Nicolai Muller – Hamburg, Age 29, OVR 78, POT 78, Cost: £12 million, Wage: £35,000
- Matteo Politano – Sassuolo, Age 23, OVR 77, POT 82, Cost: £18.7 million, Wage: £46,000
Right back
If you bring in another right back, it gives you the option of playing Joao Cancelo as a right winger, and with the Portuguese only on loan you will need a new starter their next season, anyway. Porto’s Maxi Pereira (OVR 78) can help ease the transition, and the 33-year-old can be yours for just £7 million with £13,000 a week wages. That cost will get you the Uruguayan international’s 88 aggression, 83 balance, 83 sliding tackle.
Alternative options:
- Darijo Srna – Shakhtar Donetsk, Age 35, OVR 81, POT 81, Cost: £7.1 million, Wage: £880
- Gokhan Gonul – Besiktas, Age 32, OVR 78, POT 78, Cost: £9.2 million, Wage: £41,000
- Stephan Lichtsteiner – Juventus, Age 33, OVR 81, POT 81, Cost: £10.2 million, Wage: £92,000
- Rafinha – Bayern Munich, Age 31, OVR 78, POT 78, Cost: £10.2 million, Wage: £69,000
- Dusan Basta – Lazio, Age 32, OVR 79, POT 79, Cost: £10.5 million, Wage: £48,000
Contracts
Just three men have contracts running out at Inter Milan this season, and they are all straightforward to deal with. You will certainly want to be keeping hold of defenders Miranda and Davide Santon, but you have no need for goalkeeper Tommaso Berni.
Managerial objectives
With Inter falling from where they were almost a decade ago, there is a lack of direction in the objectives from the board. Brand exposure is the most important goal, and for this you will need to gain £106 million from shirt sales, and earn £17.6 million from winnings over the next three seasons. If you perform well and score plenty in your first season your shirt sales objective should take care of itself and allow you to kick on and fight for trophies in your second season in charge.
Domestic success is of high importance, and for this you must reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup, and win the Serie A title. With your squad, this is an unrealistic aim, so you'll need to make sure you achieve all your other gaols.
For continental success you will need to qualify for the Champions Cup (Champions League) through your league position and reach the semifinals of the competition within three seasons. With no European football this year, this is definitely achievable, and if you make some good signings over the next few years, you may have a squad that can go the distance in Europe’s premier competition.
In youth development you'll need to sign a player from your academy and play them in 10 matches over the season. You will also need to sign a defender from your academy, so you can combine these two tasks.
Lastly, your financial goal is to finish with a profit margin of £44 million for the season. Perhaps keep some of your transfer budget back, and if you are looking good at the turn of the year, you can spend it in January.
Take back the crown
It’s time to wrestle back the initiative in Italy. Inter have shown this season that they can compete with their biggest rivals, and although their title challenge has fallen off, with a bigger squad they could go the distance. Signing well on a tight budget is your toughest task, but if you go out and find some shrewd buys or bring players through the youth academy, you could set yourself up for silverware in the next couple of seasons.
Full Inter Milan squad player ratings
Player | Age | Pos | Country | OVR | POT | Value | Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goalkeepers | |||||||
Samir Handanovic | 32 | GK | Slovenia | 88 | 88 | £50.9m | £106k |
Daniele Padelli | 31 | GK | Italy | 74 | 74 | £3m | £34k |
Tommaso Berni | 34 | GK | Italy | 64 | 64 | £150k | £10k |
Defenders | |||||||
Miranda | 32 | CB | Brazil | 85 | 85 | £25m | £84k |
Milan Skriniar | 22 | CB | Slovakia | 80 | 88 | £31.8m | £51k |
Joao Cancelo | 23 | RB RW RM | Portugal | 79 | 86 | On Loan | £28k |
Lisandro Lopez | 27 | CB | Argentina | 77 | 77 | On Loan | £12k |
Dalbert | 23 | LB LWB LM | Brazil | 76 | 82 | £15m | £42k |
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