Lautaro Martinez says winning the Champions League remains a “dream” for Inter but insists the club’s pursuit of the trophy has not become an “obsession”.
Inter begin their 2026-27 Champions League campaign away to Real Madrid on Tuesday, where they will face former manager Jose Mourinho.
The Italian club have not won Europe’s premier competition since 2009-10, when Cristian Chivu was a player and Mourinho was in charge. Inter have reached the final twice since then, but lost to Manchester City in 2022-23 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2024-25.
Their defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 was the heaviest ever recorded in a Champions League final, ending 5-0.
Inter’s wait for another title was extended last season when they suffered a surprise exit to Bodø/Glimt in the knockout-stage play-offs.
However, Martinez says that disappointment has not turned the Champions League into a fixation for the club, even though Inter remain determined to end the campaign as winners.
“It’s a goal. We all dream, but it’s not an obsession,” Martinez told reporters.
“We have to stay calm; we know there are some incredibly talented teams out there. It’s a goal for us.
“Since I arrived here, I’ve been repeating that we have to work to bring as many trophies as possible to Inter.”
Inter face a difficult opening test against Real Madrid, particularly given their recent record in the fixture.
They have lost each of their past three Champions League meetings with Madrid without scoring. The only opponent against whom Inter have endured a longer run without finding the net in consecutive European Cup or Champions League matches is Barcelona, against whom they failed to score in four successive games between 2003 and 2009.
Inter also lost five of their six Champions League matches in 2025-26, recording one victory. That was the same number of defeats they had suffered in their previous 39 matches in the competition combined, during which they recorded 25 wins and nine draws.
Mourinho said he was surprised Inter had not won the Champions League again, but Chivu stressed the difficulty of claiming the trophy.
“You have to ask him if he wanted Inter to win another one,” Chivu said when asked about Mourinho’s comments.
“Inter have achieved a lot in recent years, three European finals between the Champions League and the Europa League. There have been some defeats, but the Champions League is a tough one, and you also need luck at certain times.
“Just reaching the final is not a given…
“We know that playing here is never easy. We’ll do our best without changing our nature. We’ve grown, and there’s no perfect way to face Real Madrid and their great players.”
