Manuel Akanji's transfer poker has paid off – although his spectacular debut at Inter Milan is bitter

It only took Manuel Akanji a few days to grasp the meaning of the term "Pazza Inter. " It means "crazy Inter" and, as the Italians say, is an expression for Inter Milan's often contradictory, unpredictable, and emotional performances.

On Tuesday, Akanji traveled to his new workplace in Italy after international matches with Switzerland. On Wednesday, he trained with Inter for the first time. On Saturday evening, he was in the starting lineup for the spectacular Derby d'Italia in Turin against Juventus – perhaps the most important match in Serie A. Inter lost 4-3 after a match full of contradictions, unforeseen events, and emotions. Juventus led 1-0 at one point, then 2-1, trailed 3-2 shortly before the final whistle, and scored the winning goal in stoppage time.

Pazza Inter!

Manuel Akanji's performance was not bad; he played confidently and confidently on the right side of the three-man defense and had the most touches of the ball of all the players on the pitch.

Inter were clearly superior in all statistics, but Juventus proved efficient, scoring four times on goal, twice from set pieces, and with two formidable long-range shots, in which Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer didn't look his best. In particular, the late 4-3 goal by substitute Vasilije Adzic was by no means unstoppable.

Manuel Akanji has arrived at Inter Milan. His surprise move was announced two weeks ago, on the last day of the summer transfer window. At Manchester City, he suddenly no longer played a role, after coach Josep Guardiola had long valued Akanji's flexibility and quality . "We had six central defenders, and the coach was open and honest that a few players wouldn't be in the squad," says Akanji.

The 30-year-old had been linked with a number of clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, the top Istanbul clubs, as well as Juventus and AC Milan. There had also been speculation about a move to Bayern Munich. "When the opportunity arose with Inter, I didn't have to think twice," says Akanji. Inter is his favorite club in Italy; his first football jersey was an Inter jersey worn by striker Christian Vieri.

Akanji is no stranger to last-minute transfers. He also made a surprise move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City on September 1, 2022's deadline day. With City, he won several titles, twice becoming Premier League champions, and in 2023, Champions League winners – after a 1-0 win in the final against Inter Milan.

This year, he once again gambled high on a club transfer, trusting that the perfect offer would come along. Akanji was initially signed on loan for a fee of €2 million – there's a clause that allows him to be signed by Inter for €15 million in 2026 if he plays half of the league games and Inter wins the title.

And the Milanese are once again favorites for the Serie A title this season. Home games at San Siro are usually sold out, and the fan base has been spoiled with trophies in recent years—even if last spring was disappointing.

Inter were still dreaming of four titles in April, but by the end of the season, they hadn't achieved any. They were running out of steam given the enormous workload in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup. Napoli were one point ahead of Inter in the league, but the Milanese lost the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 . Pazza Inter. It's fitting that coach Simone Inzaghi moved to al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia this summer after several successful years . He is said to be earning over €25 million net per year there.

Several preferred candidates, including Como's Cesc Fàbregas, declined Inter's coaching position. Inzaghi's successor is Cristian Chivu, a former Inter defender and 2010 Champions League winner, who coached Inter's youth system for many years, but previously only managed thirteen Serie A games for Parma. The rather unassuming Romanian still has to prove he can live up to the high standards of a top club.

The experienced, somewhat aging Inter didn't lose any key players before this season, and the squad has been rejuvenated. Of the new signings, only the versatile Akanji is older than 23. He replaces Benjamin Pavard, the 2018 World Cup winner with France, who moved on loan to Olympique Marseille. The Inter team is now even better and, above all, more diverse.

Expectations are enormous for Inter; in the UEFA rankings of all European clubs, the team is ranked third – even ahead of Manchester City. They started the season well with a 5-0 win against Torino, but the unfortunate 2-1 defeat against Udinese was already a setback – and the wild 4-3 defeat at Juventus was now a bittersweet affair. Arguably their toughest title rival, Napoli, is already six points ahead of Inter after three matches, and they begin their Champions League campaign on Wednesday at Ajax Amsterdam.

It's quite possible that Manuel Akanji has once again done a lot of things right with this transfer – the match practice at a top European club is also valuable for the Swiss national team . He doesn't have to worry about his future anyway. Basel sporting director Daniel Stucki said last week that FCB would like to have Akanji back in the team at some point, alongside Granit Xhaka, because the defender not only brings quality but also embodies identity.