Thuram: Inter’s Champions League Final ‘not’ the last chance, ‘remember Giannis’

epa12078719 FC Inter’s Marcus Thuram (R) in action against FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong during the UEFA Champions League semifinal 2nd leg soccer match between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona, in Milan, Italy, 06 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ROBERTO BREGANI

Inter striker Marcus Thuram feels the latest Champions League Final was not the ‘last chance’ for the Nerazzurri: ‘We still have a lot of seasons. I still have a lot of seasons at Inter.’

Thuram spoke to The Athletic ahead of the final Club World Cup group stage game against River Plate.

The Nerazzurri returned to action just a few weeks after a calamitous 5-0 loss in the Champions League Final against PSG on May 31.

“What happened is what everybody saw: we faced a great team, the best team in the world. Nothing was working for us this day,” Thuram said.

“Everything was working for them. And we saw the result: five-zero. The result is the perfect resume of how the game went.

“I don’t think someone who watches football—soccer, however you want to call it-will remember our team in the last game because we put in great displays against great teams like Barcelona and Bayern Munich,” Thuram added.

“We finished in the top four, I think, in the (league) phase (of the Champions League). So, for me, I don’t remember this Champions League season on one game, the final game. I think we grew as a team, too, and what happened happened in the final, but you can’t sum up our season on that.

Inter striker Thuram quotes Giannis Antetokounmpo

“Remember, Giannis did the interview, saying Jordan didn’t fail when he wasn’t winning the chip at the end. I think it’s the right way to see sport because there’s the journey, too. There’s the result, of course. We’re all competitive. We all want to win in the end. But there’s the journey that brings us to the final.”

Thuram still sees a lot of positives in the Inter campaign, even if the 2024-25 regular season ended without trophies.

“I don’t think we have to throw the journey away, because if we had to sign for this season, I personally would sign to go to the final every time. That’s what you have got to remember,” said the France international.

In the meantime, the Nerazzurri have also changed their coach, seeing club legend Cristian Chivu replace Simone Inzaghi, who had been in charge of the team for the previous four seasons.

Thuram: Chivu has Inter in his veins

“We know that Cristian was a big legend of the club. He has the DNA of Inter in his veins,” said Thuram.

“I don’t think (the Champions League final) is the last chance. Almost more than three-quarters of the team that played the Champions League final are still under contract with Inter, so I don’t think it’s the last chance. I don’t think we saw it as the last chance.

“We were just sad to lose the final, losing it in that way and missing a big opportunity that could have added a great line in our career… We still have a lot of seasons. I still have a lot of seasons at Inter. It was not the last chance. It was a missed chance.”

Thuram is currently injured and has made one appearance in the Club World Cup.

The 27-year-old has scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in 49 appearances across all competitions with the Nerazzurri this term.