Inter have lost their opening two Champions League games, most recently suffering a 4-3 home defeat to Club Brugge on 13 October. Owners Oaktree regard reaching the last 16 as the minimum acceptable outcome.
Reaching the Champions League last 16 is also among the club’s stated season objectives. The club has recorded a second consecutive profit. There is no confirmed indication that Inter plan to sell a player.
What Missing the Champions League Last 16 Could Mean for Inter
The Nerazzurri have three minimum targets for the season: finish in Serie A’s top three, reach the Champions League last 16 and qualify for the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Owners Oaktree have also reaffirmed their commitment to financially support the club’s parent company.
Inter reported a profit of €22.7 million from revenue of €518 million for the financial year ending 30 June 2026. The accounts, published on 13 October, show shareholders’ equity rising from a deficit of €12 million to €10.4 million. Operating costs fell by about €20 million.
Finance costs dropped by roughly 50% following a refinancing. Revenue fell from €567 million in 2024-25, when Inter reached the Champions League final and competed in the expanded Club World Cup.
According to Tuttosport, Oaktree considers reaching the Champions League last 16 a minimum target, with failure to qualify potentially increasing pressure to sell a prominent player.
However, no player was named.
Oaktree took control of Inter in May 2024 after Suning failed to repay a loan of about €395 million. Brookfield completed its acquisition of the remaining Oaktree shares on 3 August, according to Calcio e Finanza.
Oaktree remains Inter’s shareholder, but Brookfield now owns Oaktree outright.
Inter’s Remaining Champions League Fixtures and Qualification Outlook
The defeat to Club Brugge followed a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid on 8 September. It was Inter’s seventh defeat in eight Champions League matches.
Inter have also lost four consecutive Champions League matches for the first time in their history.
Coach Cristian Chivu accepted responsibility for the latest defeat: "I’m the first to take responsibility. We need to find the right balance in certain matches."
The Nerazzurri have six league-phase matches remaining against Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and Slovan Bratislava. They are scheduled to host Stuttgart on 25 November, with the league phase ending on 27 January 2027.
16 points should be enough to finish in the top eight, based on the previous two seasons. Inter’s league-phase position had not been confirmed.
