UEFA Champions League - 2019/20 SeasonMatch press kits

Having successfully come through UEFA Champions League qualifying for only the second time, Slavia Praha return to the competition proper at one of Europe's most famous stadiums, travelling to San Siro in Milan to take on Internazionale for the first time.

• While Inter are in the group stage for the second year running – having made their return in 2018/19 after six seasons away – Slavia's sole previous appearance came in 2007/08.

Form guide
Inter
• Fourth in Serie A in 2018/19, Inter are the last Italian team to win the UEFA Champions League, in 2010 – their third European Cup triumph, and first in 45 years.

• This is the 13th time Inter have been in the group stage – last season was their first appearance since 2011/12.

• In 2018/19 Inter won their first two fixtures, against Tottenham and PSV Eindhoven, but picked up only two more points to lose out to Spurs on head-to-head record and finished third in Group B, which was won by Barcelona. Moving into the UEFA Europa League, they knocked out Rapid Wien in the round of 32 (1-0 a, 4-0 h) but lost 1-0 in the home second leg, and on aggregate, against Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16.

• Defeat by Eintracht ended Inter's six-match unbeaten home run in European matches (W4 D2).

• Last season was the first time in nine UEFA Champions League campaigns Inter had failed to progress from their group.

• This is Inter's fifth match against a Czech club, and a first since being paired with Sparta Praha in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage, when they lost 3-1 in Prague before a 2-1 home success.

Slavia
• Champions of the Czech Republic for the second time in three years last season – their 18th domestic title – and also Czech Cup winners, completing their first double in the Czech Republic, Slavia have successfully negotiated the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds for only the second time. Since their sole previous group appearance 12 years ago – when they finished third in their section behind Arsenal and Sevilla – the Prague club have lost in the preliminary rounds four times.

• Twelve months ago Slavia were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Dynamo Kyiv in the third qualifying round (1-1 h, 0-2 a). Moving into the UEFA Europa League group stage, Jindřich Trpišovský's side finished second behind Zenit in their section and went on to get the better of Genk and Sevilla in the knockout rounds before losing 5-3 to eventual champions Chelsea over two games (0-1 h, 3-4 a) in the quarter-finals.

• Slavia entered this season's UEFA Champions League in the play-offs, where they beat Romania's CFR Cluj 1-0 both home and away. Before that tie, they had won only one of their last 15 matches in the UEFA Champions League (D7 L7).

• The Prague club picked up five points in their only previous UEFA Champions League group campaign, in 2007/08, four of them against Steaua București (2-1 h, 1-1 a); they also drew 0-0 at home against Arsenal.

• This is Slavia's first match against an Italian club since autumn 2009, when they drew 0-0 at home against Genoa having lost 2-0 away in the UEFA Europa League group stage. The latter result extended their run of defeats in Italy to six matches in six visits, the last three without scoring; Slavia's trips to Serie A sides have resulted in three goals scored and 12 conceded.

• Slavia are already the sole Czech survivors in Europe this season, the other four representatives having all been eliminated, including three in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

Links and trivia
• Josef Hušbauer played twice in Serie A for Cagliari in 2014/15, when he spent the second part of the season on loan at the Italian club.

• Jakub Hromada played at youth level for Juventus (2012–2015), Genoa (2014, loan), Sampdoria (2015) and Pro Vercelli (2015, loan).

• Have played together:
Nicolò Barella & Josef Hušbauer (Cagliari 2015)

Latest news

Inter
• Summer transfers
In: Matteo Politano (Sassuolo), Eddie Salcedo (Genoa), Gabriel Brazão (Parma), Diego Godín (Atlético), Valentino Lazaro (Hertha), Stefano Sensi (Sassuolo), Ionuț Radu (Genoa), Nicolò Barella (Cagliari), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina, loan), Alexis Sánchez (Manchester United, loan)
Out: Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Zinho Vanheusden (Standard Liège), Andrea Pinamonti (Genoa), Ionuț Radu (Genoa, loan), João Miranda (Jiangsu Suning), Radja Nainggolan (Cagliari, loan), George Pușcaș (Reading), Samuele Longo (Deportivo La Coruña, loan), Ivan Perišić (Bayern, loan), João Mário (Lokomotiv Moskva, loan), Dalbert (Fiorentina, loan), Mauro Icardi (Paris Saint-Germain, loan)

• Stefano Sensi and Romelu Lukaku both scored on their Inter debuts, a 4-0 Serie A win against Lecce on 26 August.

• Lukaku scored again, a penalty, as Inter started the new Serie A season with a second win, beating Cagliari 2-1 in their following game.

• Sensi got the only goal against Udinese on Saturday to make it three wins from three for Inter and equal his best ever tally for a Serie A campaign, set in both 2017/18 and 2018/19 for Sassuolo.

• Antonio Conte replaced Luciano Spalletti as Inter coach the summer, signing a three-year contract with the Nerazzurri.

• Lukaku was also on target on international duty, opening the scoring in Belgium's 4-0 win in Scotland on 9 September.

• Lautaro Martínez scored three goals in 23 minutes as Argentina beat Mexico 4-0 in an 11 September friendly.

• Seventeen-year-old Sebastiano Esposito, an unused substitute in the first two Serie A games, scored a spectacular goal in Italy's Under-18 friendly against Serbia.

• On 6 August defender Danilo D'Ambrosio extended his contract with Inter until 2022.

Slavia
• Summer transfers
In: Nicolae Stanciu (al-Ahli), Yusuf Helal (Bohemians), Tomáš Holeš (Jablonec), David Hovorka (Jablonec), Jakub Hora (Teplice, loan), Ladislav Takács (Mladá Boleslav, loan), Lukáš Provod (Viktoria Plzeň)
Out: Michel Ngadeu-Ngadui (Gent), Simon Deli (Club Brugge), Miroslav Stoch (PAOK), Jan Matoušek (Jablonec, loan), Jan Sýkora (Jablonec, loan), Alex Král (Spartak Moskva), Alexandru Băluță (Slovan Liberec, loan)

• Josef Hušbauer's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

• Slavia won the Czechoslovak Super Cup on 6 July 2019 with a 3-0 defeat of Slovakian Cup winners Spartak Trnava.

• Including that game the Prague club are unbeaten in 20 competitive matches (W16 D4), since a 1-0 league defeat at Zlín on 21 April.

• Slavia's record in the Czech First League this season is seven wins and two draws, with 19 goals scored and only two conceded. They were 3-0 winners at home to Slovácko on Saturday.

• Goalkeeper Ondřej Kolár has kept eight clean sheets in nine Slavia appearances in all competitions this season.

• Kolář and defender David Hovorka missed the 1-1 draw at Opava on 1 September 2019, but returned against Slovácko.

• Tomáš Souček and Lukáš Masopust, with his first international goal, scored as the Czech Republic won 3-0 in Montenegro in UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying on 10 September.

Date of birth: 31 July 1969
Nationality: Italian
Playing career: Lecce, Juventus
Coaching career: Siena (assistant), Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta, Siena, Juventus, Italy, Chelsea, Internazionale

• A combative and versatile midfielder, Conte also weighed in with his share of goals – usually spectacular. Made Serie A debut with hometown club Lecce aged 16 in 1985/86 but was not a regular until 1988/89 when his side returned to the top flight after two seasons away. Joined Juventus in November 1991.

• Spent the next 13 seasons at Juve, later describing the famous black-and-white shirt as his "second skin". Won five league titles, the UEFA Champions League in 1995/96 and the UEFA Cup in 1992/93 in addition to triumphs in the UEFA Super Cup, Italian Cup and European/South American Cup, wearing the captain's armband from 1996. Capped 20 times by Italy, he was part of the squads that finished runners-up at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000.

• Started coaching career as assistant at Siena in 2005, taking over Serie B side Arezzo the following season. After leading Bari and Siena to the top flight in 2009 and 2011 respectively, he signed a two-year contract with Juventus.

• Wasted no time in revamping the squad and enjoyed a debut season to remember as the Bianconeri claimed the Scudetto without losing a single game, suffering their sole defeat of the season against Napoli in the Coppa Italia final. Led Juventus to a second successive title in 2013 and made it three in a row the following year, before stepping down in July 2014.

• Appointed Italy coach on a two-year deal a month later, he guided the Azzurri undefeated to UEFA EURO 2016 and took them to the quarter-finals in France before opting for a new challenge at Chelsea. Proved an instant success in England, winning the Premier League title and reaching the FA Cup final in his first season, and won the FA Cup in his second campaign only to be relieved of his duties a month later; after a year's sabbatical he was appointed Inter coach on 31 May 2019.

Date of birth: 27 February 1976
Nationality: Czech
Coaching career: Horní Měcholupy, Viktoria Žižkov, Slovan Liberec, Slavia Praha

• Trpišovský played football at amateur level, taking a keen interest in coaching from an early age. After more than 15 years working with youth teams, he moved into senior football in 2009, taking charge of third division Prague amateur side Horní Měcholupy two years later.

• In 2013 he moved on to Viktoria Žižkov, also staying in that post for two years before Slovan Liberec came calling in June 2015. Trpišovský led the club into the UEFA Europa League group stage in 2015/16, Slovan finishing third in their section despite a memorable 1-0 away win against Marseille.

• In December 2017 Trpišovský opted for a new challenge at Slavia Praha, making the move along with his assistants Zdeněk Houštecký and Jaroslav Köstl. Guided the Prague club to the Czech Cup in his first season, when they also finished runners-up in the Czech League.

• The 2018/19 campaign proved eye-catching both at home and abroad, Slavia bouncing back from elimination at the hands of Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round to go all the way to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, claiming the notable scalps of Genk and Sevilla along the way before a 5-3 aggregate defeat against eventual champions Chelsea.

• On the domestic front Trpišovský, whose coaching idol is Jürgen Klopp and who wears a baseball cap in tribute, guided Slavia to their first domestic double since 1942; then kicked off 2019/20 by masterminding victory against CFR Cluj in the UEFA Champions League play-offs to take Slavia into the group stage for only the second time, 12 years after their debut appearance.

UEFA Champions League: Did you know?

Overall records
• In 2012/13, Chelsea became the first defending champions to fail to get through a group stage since the UEFA Champions League began. (This record, like the others, includes the seasons between 1999/2000 and 2002/03 that featured a second group stage). In 1992/93, Barcelona were the reigning European Champion Clubs' Cup holders and lost 4-3 on aggregate in the second round to CSKA Moskva.

• In 2016/17 Real Madrid became the first team to successfully defend the UEFA Champions League trophy, with AC Milan (1989, 1990) the previous club to win consecutive European Cups. Milan (1994, 1995), Ajax (1995, 1996), Juventus (1996, 1997) and Manchester United (2008, 2009) have all returned to the UEFA Champions League final as holders only to lose.

• Real Madrid then made it three wins in a row in 2017/18, becoming the fourth club to win three or more successive titles in European Cup history, and the first to do it twice.

• Only two teams have ever won the UEFA Champions League on home soil: Borussia Dortmund (1997, final in Munich) and Juventus (1996, final in Rome), while Manchester United lost the 2011 final in London and 12 months later Bayern were beaten in the showpiece in their own stadium, the Fußball Arena München.

Group stage
• Barcelona have finished as group winners on 20 occasions, four more than Real Madrid and five more than Bayern München and Manchester United. Barça also hold the record for the most unbeaten group stage campaigns with 12, four more than Real Madrid.

• Bayern München (2 April 2013 to 27 November 2013) and Real Madrid (23 April 2014 to 18 February 2015) jointly hold the record for successive wins in the UEFA Champions League proper with ten. Bayern surpassed the previous mark of nine, set by Barcelona between 18 September 2002 and 18 February 2003.

• Six teams have recorded six successive victories in a UEFA Champions League group stage: Milan (1992/93), Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95), Spartak Moskva (1995/96), Barcelona (2002/03, first group stage) and Real Madrid (2011/12 and 2014/15).

• Twenty-one teams have gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without picking up a single point, most recently AEK Athens in 2018/19.

• In 2017/18, Paris Saint-Germain set a new group stage record by scoring 25 goals, with Liverpool (23) also eclipsing the old mark of 21 set by Borussia Dortmund in 2016/17. Manchester United (1998/99), Barcelona (2011/12, 2016/17) and Real Madrid (2013/14) all managed 20.

• Only Deportivo La Coruña (2004/05), Maccabi Haifa (2009/10) and Dinamo Zagreb (2016/17) have failed to score in a group stage.

• BATE Borisov conceded 24 goals in 2014/15, a new group stage record which was matched by Legia Warszawa in 2016/17. The previous mark, 22, was held by Dinamo Zagreb (2011/12) and Nordsjælland (2012/13); Malmö shipped 21 in 2015/16.

• No team has ever gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without conceding a goal. Milan (1992/93), Ajax (1995/96), Juventus (1996/97 and 2004/05), Chelsea (2005/06), Liverpool (2005/06), Villarreal (2005/06), Manchester United (2010/11), Monaco (2014/15), Paris Saint-Germain (2015/16) and Barcelona (2017/18) all let in just one.

• Matchday six of the 2013/14 marked FCSB's 23rd successive game in the competition without a victory, surpassing the previous record of 22 set by Spartak Moskva between December 2000 and November 2006.

• Anderlecht hold the unwanted record for successive defeats in the competition, group stage to final, having lost 12 in a row between December 2003 and November 2005. Dinamo Zagreb are next with 11 consecutive losses on two occasions, from September 2011 to November 2012 and ongoing since September 2015.

• The lowest total for a team qualifying from the group stage is six points: Zenit in 2013/14 and Roma in 2015/16. Since three points for a win was introduced in 1995/96, nine teams have made it through with seven points: Legia Warszawa (1995/96), Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000), Liverpool (2001/02, second group stage), in 2002/03 Lokomotiv Moskva (first group stage) and eventual finalists Juventus (second group stage), Rangers and Werder Bremen (2005/06), Galatasaray (2013/14) and Basel (2014/15).

• Napoli failed to qualify from their group with 12 points in 2013/14, the highest total of any team not to reach the next stage when the top two in each section progressed. Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000, second group stage), Borussia Dortmund (2002/03, second group stage), PSV Eindhoven (2003/04), Olympiacos and Dynamo Kyiv (both 2004/05), Werder Bremen (2006/07), Manchester City (2011/12), Chelsea and Cluj (both 2012/13), Benfica (2013/14) and Porto (2015/16) all missed out with ten points.

Goalscoring records
• Lionel Messi became the first player to score five goals in a match in Barcelona's 7-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen on 7 March 2012, a feat matched by Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano at BATE Borisov on 21 October 2014. Eleven more players, also including Messi, have scored four times in a game, most recently Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid on matchday six in 2015/16.

• Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for a UEFA Champions League group stage with 11 goals in 2015/16, eclipsing his own mark of nine in 2013/14, which Luiz Adriano matched in 2014/15 and Ronaldo himself equalled in 2017/18. Lionel Messi got ten goals in 2016/17; Zlatan Ibrahimović (2013/14), Ruud van Nistelrooy (2004/05), Filippo Inzaghi, Hernán Crespo (both 2002/03) and Robert Lewandowski (2018/19) managed eight.

• Messi's hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven on matchday one of the 2018/19 competition was his eighth in the competition, a mark Ronaldo matched against Atlético Madrid in that season's round of 16 second leg.

Oldest and youngest players
• Lazio goalkeeper Marco Ballotta is the oldest player to compete in the UEFA Champions League having featured against Real Madrid on matchday six in 2007/08 aged 43 years and 252 days. Alessandro Costacurta is the oldest outfield player; the Milan defender was 40 years and 211 days when he played against AEK Athens in 2006/07.

• Francesco Totti is the oldest player to score in the competition, aged 38 years and 59 days, in Roma's 1-1 draw at CSKA Moskva on 25 November 2014. Ryan Giggs (37 years 290 days) was the previous record holder.

• Celestine Babayaro is the youngest player to have appeared; he was 16 years and 87 days when he started for Anderlecht against Steaua Bucureşti on 23 November 1994. He was sent off in the 37th minute.

• Peter Ofori-Quaye is the youngest player to have scored in the UEFA Champions League, aged 17 years and 195 days. He found the net in Olympiacos's 5-1 defeat at Rosenborg on 1 October 1997.

FC Internazionale Milano
Formed: 1908
Nicknames: Nerazzurri (Black and Blues), La Beneamata (The Beloved)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• European Cup/UEFA Champions League (3): 1964, 1965, (1967), (1972), 2010
• UEFA Cup (3): 1991, 1994, (1997), 1998
• European/South American Cup (2): 1964, 1965

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
League title: 18 (2010)
Italian Cup: 7 (2011)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions League unless indicated otherwise)
2018/19: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2017/18: did not take part in UEFA club competition
2016/17: UEFA Europa League group stage
2015/16: did not take part in UEFA club competition
2014/15: UEFA Europa League round of 16
2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition
2012/13: UEFA Europa League round of 16
2011/12: round of 16
2010/11: quarter-finals
2009/10: winners

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
6-0 twice, most recently v Stjarnan
28/08/14, UEFA Europa League play-off second leg

• Biggest away win
1-5: Valencia v Inter
20/10/04, UEFA Champions League group stage

• Heaviest home defeat
1-5: Inter v Arsenal
25/11/03, UEFA Champions League group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
5-1: Real Madrid v Inter
16/04/86, UEFA Cup semi-final second leg

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final)
• Biggest home win
4-0 twice, most recently v Werder Bremen
29/09/10, group stage

• Biggest away win
1-5: Valencia v Inter (see above)

• Heaviest home defeat
1-5: Inter v Arsenal (see above)

• Heaviest away defeat
3-0 three times, most recently v Werder Bremen
07/12/10, group stage

SK Slavia Praha
Formed: 1892
Nickname: Sešívaní (The Sewn-Ups)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• None

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
League title: 18 (2019)
National cup: 5 (2019)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions unless indicated otherwise)
2018/19: UEFA Europa League quarter-finals (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round)
2017/18: UEFA Europa League group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs)
2016/17: UEFA Europa League play-offs
2015/15: did not take part in UEFA competition
2014/15: did not take part in UEFA competition
2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition
2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition
2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition
2010/11: did not take part in UEFA competition
2009/10: UEFA Europa League group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round)

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
5-1 on three occasions, most recently v Partizan
14/11/02, UEFA Cup second round second leg
4-0 on two occasions, most recently v PAOK
12/12/02, UEFA Cup third round second leg

• Biggest away win
0-4: Cork City v Slavia
23/08/94, UEFA Cup preliminary round second leg

• Heaviest home defeat
1-5: Slavia v LOSC Lille
01/10/09, UEFA Europa League group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
7-0: Arsenal v Slavia
23/10/07, UEFA Champions League group stage

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final)
• Biggest home win
2-1: Slavia v Steaua Bucureşti
19/09/07, group stage

• Biggest away win
N/A

• Heaviest home defeat
0-3: Slavia v Sevilla
12/12/07, group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
7-0: Arsenal v Slavia
23/10/07, group stage