Inter retained their Serie A title with three games to spare after second-placed AC Milan put in a weak performance to lose 2-1 at Udinese on Saturday.
Inter’s triumph, in former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge, is their fourth straight scudetto and their 17th overall.
The champions hold a seven-point lead with Milan only having two games left to play.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Fans quickly congregated in Milan’s central square, Piazza Duomo, to wave flags and celebrate the title while television pictures showed Inter players dancing at their team retreat.
Self-styled “Special One” Mourinho has now won titles with Porto, Chelsea and Inter.
“I’m a bit angry because the team should already be in bed but they have decided to take the bus and go to Milan. But I understand their desire to celebrate,” the Portuguese joked to Inter’s Web site.
PHOTO: EPA
“For my part I still don’t feel a symbol of Inter. There’s still some work to do on this. We’ll try and do it next year,” Mourinho said.
Milan’s loss gave Inter president Massimo Moratti even more reason to celebrate on his 64th birthday.
“It’s the first time I’ve celebrated a birthday by winning a scudetto. They did very well to give me this present,” he said.
“We have won the title with great merit. From a certain point of view it was never really in doubt. Mourinho had already won in England, and now he’s done well here with us, the only foreign coach in Italy,” Moratti said.
“He did well to gain experience first and then lead the team to victory,” he said.
Inter have now joined Milan on 17 Italian titles.
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