Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi was eager to savour the moment after the Nerazzurri qualified for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years.
The Italians squeezed past 10-man FC Porto 1-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 second leg draw in Portugal in their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Pepe was sent off for the hosts for unsportsmanlike conduct in the 97th minute as Inter clinched their progress, having won the first leg courtesy of Romelu Lukaku’s late goal.
“I am very happy with what we are doing and the credit goes to these players, who in these 18 months together have given us trophies and quarter-finals that had been absent from a club like Inter for far too long,” Inzaghi told reporters.
“I dont want controversy, I am enjoying every minute of this experience. I know this is football, I know why and how I came to this club two years ago, and I am enjoying every trophy and place in the quarter-final.
“Now we will focus on Serie A, the Coppa Italia semi-final, there are many games to be played. We have to recover mental and physical energy.”
Porto generated 21-11 shots, with 7-5 on target, with the Portuguese club boasting 68 per cent possession throughout the game.
“All credit to the group, who managed to draw on energy I didnt even know they had,” Inzaghi said. “We had problems before and during the game, they remained solid and aside from the rather excessive seven minutes of stoppages, we ran very few risks.
“I had faith, as the team was always in the game, in a passionate atmosphere like this. We know the last four Italians who played at the Dragao lost, so I congratulated the lads, we wrote a little bit of history.”
There was chaos pre-game at Estadio do Dragao, with hundreds of Inter supporters refused entry to the ground despite having pre-purchased tickets.
“We dedicate it to the fans, who I am told many of them couldn’t get into the stadium,” Inzaghi said.
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