Marotta: 'Inter have the right to dream' in Champions League

Inter President Beppe Marotta insists they ‘have the right to dream’ in the Champions League after the draw put them against Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The draw for the 2026/27 Champions League League Phase was performed today in Monaco, with each team to face four opponents at home and four away.

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Hakan Calhanoglu of Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Fresh off winning the Scudetto and Coppa Italia, as well as reaching two Champions League Finals in the last four seasons, Inter were the only Italian side to be top seeds in the draw.

They will host Liverpool, who only just sold Curtis Jones to them last week, along with Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk and VfB Stuttgart.

There is a reunion with Treble winning coach Jose Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, with trips also to Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava.

Marotta declares Inter ambition PISA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 30: Giuseppe Marotta of FC Internazionale looks on prior to the Serie A match between Pisa SC and FC Internazionale at Arena Garibaldi on November 30, 2025 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) “This is always a fascinating occasion, the ninth year in a row that Inter are in the Champions League, so the team is now a fixed presence in the competition,” President Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.

“There is this intriguing reunion with Mourinho. We are certainly talking about the most important competition in world football.”

The Nerazzurri signed three England internationals this summer, namely Jones from Liverpool, Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur, and free agent John Stones after his Manchester City contract expired.

Curtis Jones in the Inter trophy room (inter.it) “This was down to the evaluation of the technical staff, Piero Ausilio, Dario Baccin and of course Cristian Chivu. The most important thing is the number of titles that these players bring with them, their quality and experience,” noted Marotta.

Inter have not won the Champions League since 2010 as part of the Treble, but they have reached the Final twice in the last four seasons.

Last term was disappointing, going out in the play-offs to Bodo/Glimt, and that was only partially covered by the Domestic Double.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 24: Jens Petter Hauge of Bodo/Glimt (L) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FK Bodo/Glimt at Stadio San Siro on February 24, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) “We must always be ambitious, we are a team who had strong runs in the Champions League in recent years. We have quality, but also the right to dream.

“We’re aware that our path depends also on how the other teams do, as this new format has made it very unpredictable, so it’ll be difficult to tell until the last moment who goes straight through.”

The top eight teams go into the Round of 16, whereas those sides from ninth to 24 th in the table must enter the play-offs.

Anyone from the 25 th position down is eliminated from Europe in January.