Dumfries: Pressure not on Inter to win Champions League

Denzel Dumfries does not believe last season’s humbling Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain will serve as extra motivation for Inter to go one better this time around.

Inter were hammered 5-0 by a rampant PSG in May, as the French giants became European champions for the first time.

It was Inter’s second Champions League final defeat in the space of two years, following a 1-0 loss to Manchester City in 2023.

The defeat also brought the curtain down on Simone Inzaghi’s tenure in charge, with the Italian coach joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal prior to the Club World Cup.

Dumfries, though, insisted that the pressure should not be on Inter to end their recent Champions League heartache this season.

Ahead of Inter’s clash with Ajax, Dumfries told reporters: “We’re playing in the Champions League to win.

“We’ve got an excellent squad, but for me, it’s not about doing better than last year.

“We’re a great club and we can win the Champions League, but it’s a difficult competition and we’ll need to give our best starting tomorrow.

“We didn’t start as well as we’d wanted in the league, but it’s up to us to improve and find the right motivation. We’re a squad that has experience and character. We look each other in the eye and we know that we have a lot to improve.”

Towards the European stage.