OBERNDORF - At the Under-19 Tournament in Oberndorf, Inter impressed under new Coach Armando Madonna and eventually finished as runners-up. The Nerazzurri lost 2-1 in the final to Schalke 04 after going ahead through Vergani’s goal.
Drawn in Group B with Schalke, Barcelona and Mainz, the Nerazzurri finished top. After losing 1-0 to Schalke (Kutuco 24), Armando Madonna’s side beat Barcelona 2-0 (Adorante 9’, Colombini 70’) before a goalless draw with Mainz in the final match.
As group winners, Inter met Salzburg in the semi-final. After taking the lead via an Adorante penalty, the Under-19s were pegged back at the end by Chikwubuike. The Nerazzurri then won the penalty shootout with Merola, Vergani and Demirovic goals proving decisive along with a magnificent display from Tintori in goal as he saved three penalties.
Inter then met Schalke 04 in the final of the prestigious international competition. Madonna’s side were on top early on and took the lead through Vergani in the third minute. Yildiz equalised for Schalke in the 24th minute before Thiaw completed the turnaround in the 61st minute as the German side won the tournament.
It was a good test for the new Coach Armando Madonna as he had the chance to get to know his team better while the players got some minutes under their belts ahead of upcoming fixtures. The Inter U-19s will next be in action on Monday 13th August at the Vignola Tournament before a friendly with Virtus Bergamo on Tuesday 14th August. Then, there’s a trip to the Netherlands to meet Ajax.
