Every club in the world has been criticized for wrongly selling a player who has shined elsewhere, but perhaps no team has endured the most controversy as Inter. In the last 30 years alone, they have sold future Ballon d'Or winners because they believe players are past their best or simply not fit for the club. Here are five players who failed to reach their peak at Inter Milan before becoming big stars at the new club.
Coutinho
Inter signed Coutinho as a teenager but decided to sell him just a few years later, despite his enormous talent. Former Inter president Moratti said of the Brazilian's sale to Liverpool: "I think it's a great opportunity for Coutinho and the deal could be good for us. "The Brazilian will erupt almost immediately at Liverpool and enjoyed five wonderful years before selling for 160 million euros." Philippe Coutinho is Inter's biggest regret in more than 20 years. Inter Milan director Piero Osirio later admitted.
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro's decision to trade Juventus substitute goalkeeper Fabian Carini is considered the worst deal in football history. Especially from Inter's point of view. Juventus couldn't believe their luck and they got the Italian captain in vain as Inter thought the centre-back had gone through his best and was getting more and more vulnerable to injury. Cannavaro spent two brilliant years in Turin, re-establishing himself not only as the best defender in the world, but also as the best player in the world. After leading Italy to the World Cup, he lifted the 2006 Ballon d'Or with a string of astonishing performances.
Pirlo
Pirlo is not the only player who was inexplicably sold to AC Milan by Inter milan in the 1990s. Seedorf was another man who would later regret it. Although Pirlo had a brilliant loan spell at Brescia, where he had a very good relationship with Roberto Baggio, he will never be inter's main player. As a result, Inter milan agreed to sell Pirlo to Milan in the summer of 2001. As part of the deal, humble winger Andreas Gugliel Mipitro was sent to Inter Milan. Pirlo quickly became one of the best players of his generation at Milan, becoming the brains and organiser of the legendary midfielder, who will win two Champions Leagues and reach another final. The maestro also played an important role in Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph and Euro 2012 finalists.
Roberto Carlos
In the summer of 1996, when Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello heard that Inter would sell Roberto Carlos, he was speechless. "I couldn't believe it," Capello later explained, "my friend Giovanni Brankini told me they were going to sell him, and I thought'How could Inter sell Roberto Carlos?'" 'Because I didn't believe it, they sent me a fax with the price on it, which was not an unacceptable amount, so I called Real Madrid President Lorenzo Sands and told him to fly directly to Milan. I explained that all Italian teams would want him once the news got out. By 23:00, the contract was ready. Less than 24 minutes. Roberto Carlos started well at Inter, but has since been at odds with England boss Hodgson. Roberto Carlos left to become a legend in Real Madrid and football, which was a huge mistake and Inter did not give him more time.
Summer
Summer was signed by Inter in the summer of 1992 but played just 12 games before being sold in the middle of the season. The German failed to resolve the team's problems, but Inter quickly dropped a player who scored four goals before Christmas. Back in Germany, Summer became one of the best scavengers in the world, winning the Ballon d'Or in 1996 after he was Germany's star player in the process of winning the European championship.