Inter Milan secured their 21st Serie A title on Sunday, defeating visiting Parma 2-0 at San Siro. The victory mathematically clinched the championship with three rounds remaining, extending their lead over second-place Napoli to an unassailable 12 points.
Marcus Thuram opened the scoring just before halftime, curling an angled shot past Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Veteran midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan doubled the lead in the 80th minute, converting a pass from Lautaro Martinez—who made his return from injury off the bench.
This marks Inter's third Serie A title in six years, cementing their place as Italy's second-most successful club behind Juventus (36 titles). Notably, it's their first championship sealed at San Siro since 1989—nearly four decades of waiting.
Chivu Caps Remarkable First Season
For first-year coach Cristian Chivu, the title was secured against his former club. He previously helped Parma avoid relegation last season before replacing Simone Inzaghi nearly a year ago.
"Since I arrived at Inter, it's been a team that loves to stay together—on and off the field—and that's our strength," Thuram said.
Lautaro praised the new manager's impact: "(Chivu) did so well bringing fresh energy, enthusiasm. After four great years with Simone, perhaps we needed a change of scenery after that Champions League final. Chivu made sure everyone felt involved and could even train with a smile. That really helped."
Inter will face Lazio in the Italian Cup final in 10 days, bidding for a second trophy this season.
Barella Reflects on Season's Turnaround
Midfielder Nicolò Barella acknowledged the contrast from last season, when Inter finished one point behind Napoli without a trophy.
"That's football and life. There are difficult moments," Barella said. "For example, last season we came so close to everything and won nothing. In life you've got to get back up on your feet."
AC Milan, Juventus Risk Champions League Spots
While Inter celebrated, their city rivals AC Milan suffered a significant blow to Champions League qualification. Playing with 10 men after Fikayo Tomori's red card, Milan fell 2-0 away to Sassuolo—their fourth loss in seven matches.
Domenico Berardi opened the scoring early, marking his 12th career goal against Milan. Armand Lauriente added the second after halftime. Christian Pulisic came on in the second half but saw his goalless streak extend to a career-high 17 league matches.
Juventus also dropped points, drawing 1-1 at home against relegated Hellas Verona. Kieron Bowie put Verona ahead before Dusan Vlahovic equalized with a free kick—his first goal since October. The draw extended Juventus' unbeaten run to nine matches.
Third-placed Milan now leads fourth-placed Juventus by only two points, with fifth-placed Como just three behind. Three rounds remain in the season.