Inter are out of the UEFA Champions League after losing 5-2 on aggregate against Bodo/Glimt in the playoffs ahead of the knockout stages. The Norwegian team are playing in the elite European tournament for the first time in their history, but the Nerazzurri’s elimination isn’t a big surprise as it might look today. Cristian Chivu’s team lost 3-1 away in the first leg, but many thought the defeat had to do with the challenging pitch and the hostile Norwegian weather. That was not the case. Bodo/Glimt showed again on Tuesday that they are an organized team, and demonstrated why they have already won against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid earlier in the league phase. 

Inter showed a different attitude this season in the European tournament, especially as compared to last season when the Nerazzurri reached the Champions League final under Simone Inzaghi, after winning one of the most incredible Champions League semifinals against Barcelona over two legs. Last season’s disappointments left a mark on this squad, not just for the humiliating 5-0 defeat in the final against PSG, but also for the Serie A title lost to Napoli in the last weeks of the season. 

The mentality of the players seemed much more similar to the ones that started the 2023-24 season after losing another Champions League final to Manchester City. Inter decided to rebound by focusing on the domestic league, and this season is no different. The Nerazzurri are at the top of the Serie A standings with a ten-point margin on their rivals, and will face AC Milan next week at San Siro for a crucial Derby della Madonnina that might put an end to the title race before it is too late. 

Ironically, the shocking elimination against Bodo/Glimt might give them an extra boost of motivation for the final stretch of the Serie A season, knowing that reaching another Champions League final looked more complicated this season. Inter, and the other Italian teams, are not at the level of the English teams or the top European giants for multiple reasons. It’s not just talent but also the financial wherewithal to secure that talent. Unlike them, they are kind of forced to think about one tournament at a time, and the ineffectiveness of last season proved it even more. 

Inter will also need some of their top stars back at the top of their game. Players such as Nicolo Barella or Marcus Thuram looked lost, while Lautaro Martinez is recovering from a muscular injury suffered in the first leg in Norway. His comeback, alongside that of Denzel Dumfries, will be vital for their Serie A title ambitions. Meanwhile, there were some rumors coming from Spain about a possible pre-agreement between Inter and current Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone for the summer of 2026. Inter president Beppe Marotta spoke to Sky Italy and denied the rumours as “fake news,” but Chivu knows perfectly this is a strange world and winning the Serie A title will be the only way to cool the rumors down.

Bodo/Glimt have written their names into the books of history and now await a clash in the Round of 16 against either Sporting CP or Manchester City. It has been a month to remember for Norway in Italy: from Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s extraordinary six gold medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics to Bodo/Glimt becoming the first Norwegian side since 1987 to win a knockout tie in Europe’s premier club competition. Norway will celebrate, and it’s not over yet.