All that remains is the Scudetto.
Outside Europe in December, Inter and Antonio Conte only have one goal left to save the season: to interrupt Juventus' dominance in Serie A, bringing the Scudetto back to Inter Milan.
There is no other way to straighten a hitherto unsuccessful year, with the technician already on the grill.
On the other hand, few could imagine an Inter in December already out of all the European cups.
A flop that makes noise, also because the rift between the environment and Conte seems to widen more and more.
The expectations, especially after the second place, the final against Sevilla in the Europa League last season and the summer transfer market, were very different: the coach can only finish in the viewfinder, who is paying for his Juventus past but above all a stammering present, on and off the pitch.
Late changes, little grit and little concreteness are the main accusations against Conte, with Lukaku and his companions who for the umpteenth time melted away at the moment of making the leap in quality.
"Impossible not to be able to score a goal at Shakhtar in 180 '", the coach's opinion.
But it is equally difficult to think that a team like Inter cannot have alternative solutions, also because by now the teams seem to have learned the Contian movements by heart.
And the question mark remains Eriksen, which probably would have been useful immediately in an evening in which experience and quality could make the difference.
A team at times also nervous, as much as the coach off the pitch, as demonstrated by the squabble at Sky after the match against Shakhtar.
And not only for the clash with Capello, whose complicated relations with Conte are known, but above all towards Anna Billò, guilty of having asked the coach why the difficulties in scoring a team that Inter he had done 5 at once.
"You have to think before asking the questions", Conte's far from polite answer, words that have sparked even more social media against him.
Beyond the answer, on that TV stage Conte hardly hid his nervousness, especially in the face of questions about the game and possible plans B ("of course we have a plan B, but we don't say hindsight the opponents they have it ... ") The elimination, however, also weighs from an economic point of view, in a season already made complex by the consequences of Covid.
The lack of revenues from participation at least in the Europa League could in fact also affect the January market: Conte would like new reinforcements, but without giving up (Eriksen remains out, even if the loan hypothesis has made its way) it seems difficult to get news in pink.
Now, however, Inter must return to racing on the pitch, starting with the delicate trip to Cagliari on Sunday, because the redemption can only go through the championship.
Today the coach spoke to the team, asking his team to turn the page after the elimination, also to avoid further missteps.
Meanwhile, the Curva Nord gave the Nerazzurri confidence: "The North does not abandon Inter in times of difficulty", reads a message posted on Facebook.
"This was not the goal, let's do the math at the end. So we advise all Inter fans to put an end to the sad habit of useless whining - continues the organized Nerazzurri supporters -. Let's concentrate rather on the real dimension of this Inter. Let's think about the championship. We think positive. We trust the team and the club. Then we will rightly draw the sums. "
Sums that the Suning club will also pull: to date it seems difficult to imagine Conte still on the Nerazzurri bench next season in the event of a flop even in the league.
