Inter are Serie A 2023/24 winter champions: Does this historically mean they will win the scudetto?
Inter were officially crowned winter champions for the 2023/24 Serie A season after they had to overcome serious complications to just about beat Hellas Verona 2-1 on Matchday 19 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The Nerazzurri sealed their status as Serie A winter champions thanks to a 93rd-minute winner scored by Davide Frattesi against Verona, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story of how things went on Saturday.
With Thomas Henry having scored an earlier equaliser long before Frattesi restored Inter's lead, the Verona forward then missed a penalty deep into stoppage time and passed up the chance to earn an unexpected point for the Mastini.
Inter confirmed as 2023/24 winter champions: What does it mean?
There is no official recognition for a team being crowned as winter champions in Serie A, as it purely means the team are top of the Serie A table at the conclusion of the first round of fixtures - after Matchday 19, when each side has played every other side once.
But being crowned winter champions is no guarantee of success come the end of the season, though it does, more often than not, indicate who will eventually go on to win the scudetto.
As reported by Sky Sport Italia, 60 of the last 89 winter champions (excluding Inter this season) have gone on to win the Serie A title. That means 67.42% of winter champions go on to be crowned champions of Italy months later, which was the case in 2022/23 when Napoli won their third Serie A title after being winter champions.
Inter’s record as Serie A winter champions
But what about Inter and their own record as winter champions? The Nerazzurri have managed to be top of the table at the season’s midway point on as many as 17 occasions in the past, but not all of those have seen them win the scudetto.
As per Opta, Inter have gone on to win the Serie A title on 10 of the 17 occasions they have been winter champions.
However, the last time Inter were winter champions was under current coach Simone Inzaghi in 2021/22, when AC Milan went on to beat them to the Serie A title.
Every season Inter have been Serie A winter champions
- 1929/30: Champions
- 1933/34: 2nd (Juventus champions)
- 1937/38: Champions
- 1950/51: 2nd (AC Milan champions)
- 1952/53: Champions
- 1960/61: 3rd (Juventus champions)
- 1961/62: 2nd (AC Milan champions)
- 1965/66: Champions
- 1966/67: 2nd (Juventus champions)
- 1979/80: Champions
- 1988/89: Champions
- 1990/91: 3rd (Sampdoria champions)
- 2006/07: Champions
- 2007/08: Champions
- 2008/09: Champions
- 2009:10: Champions
- 2021/22: 2nd (AC Milan champions)