Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has revealed that eliminating Barcelona from the 2010 UEFA Champions League semi-finals gave him greater satisfaction than winning the competition itself, describing the victory at Camp Nou as the most memorable moment of Inter’s historic treble-winning campaign.

According to a report by Barca Universal on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Moratti made the revelation while reflecting on Inter Milan’s remarkable 2009/10 season under former manager Jose Mourinho.

During that campaign, the Italian club defeated Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals before going on to beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final at the Santiago Bernabeu to secure their third European Cup title.

Although Inter’s victory over Bayern completed their successful European campaign, Moratti explained that eliminating Barcelona was the moment that brought him the greatest happiness.

Speaking to AS, as reported by SPORT, the former Inter president recalled the significance of the victory against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, which was regarded as one of the strongest teams in European football at the time.

In his words, “I was happier at the Camp Nou. I celebrated reaching the final even more after eliminating Pep’s Barça than after beating Bayern 2-0 at the Bernabeu.”

Moratti described the experience as sensational and unforgettable, explaining that overcoming Barcelona made the achievement particularly special for him and the club.

Inter had entered the semi-final as underdogs against Guardiola’s side, who were the defending Champions League holders. However, Mourinho’s team produced an impressive performance over two legs to secure qualification for the final.

The first leg took place at the San Siro, where Inter defeated Barcelona 3-1. Despite losing the return leg 1-0 at Camp Nou, the Italian side progressed with a 3-2 aggregate victory.

The result ended Barcelona’s hopes of successfully defending their Champions League title and secured Inter’s place in the final against Bayern Munich.

Inter subsequently completed their European triumph through Diego Milito, who scored both goals in the final to deliver a 2-0 victory over the German club.

The success formed part of an extraordinary season in which Inter won the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Champions League under Mourinho, becoming the first Italian club to achieve the continental treble.

During the interview, Moratti also reflected on another important moment in Inter’s history: the signing of Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazario from Barcelona in 1997.

The former president recalled that negotiations for the legendary striker were relatively straightforward because he considered Barcelona’s asking price reasonable.

According to Moratti, the Spanish club eventually regretted allowing Ronaldo to leave, while the Brazilian forward was pleased to begin a new chapter in Italian football.

Discussing the transfer, he said, “Barcelona decided on a fee. I didn’t think it was high, but maybe they did. The price was right, and I thought it was fascinating.”

Ronaldo joined Inter after an outstanding spell at Barcelona, where he had established himself as one of the most exciting attacking players in world football. His arrival in Italy generated considerable excitement among Inter supporters.

Moratti’s comments also touched on Mourinho’s decision to leave Inter Milan for Real Madrid in 2010, shortly after leading the Italian club to its historic treble.

Despite the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, the former Inter president insisted that he did not hold any resentment towards the Portuguese manager for accepting the Spanish club’s offer.

He explained that Mourinho had always wanted to experience Spanish football and believed it would have been unfair to prevent him from pursuing that ambition.

Mourinho’s departure marked the end of a successful period at Inter, where he had transformed the team into European champions and established himself as one of the most influential managers in the club’s history.

Moratti’s latest reflections have therefore brought attention to several defining moments in Inter Milan’s history, particularly the 2010 Champions League triumph, the signing of Ronaldo Nazario and Mourinho’s subsequent move to Real Madrid.