Improved Inter look to end 42-year European Cup famine

MILAN, Sep 7 (Reuters) Champions of Italy by virtue of a sports tribunal decision, Inter Milan have assembled a squad that could finally make them a threat in Europe.

Inter finished in third place last season in Serie A but after a match-fixing tribunal stripped Juventus of the title and and handed runners-up AC Milan a points deduction, Roberto Mancini's side were declared champions.

That decision ended a 17-year wait for a domestic honour but their fans will be demanding that this season Mancini's men deliver them glory won purely on the field.

It is now 42 seasons since Inter won the second of their two back-to-back European Cups of 1964 and 1965 and although they won the UEFA Cup three times in the 1990s they have been overshadowed in Europe by the far greater success of their city rivals AC Milan.

For the first time in years though Inter look to have, on paper at least, a stronger chance of going all the way in the Champions League than six-times European champions Milan.

Mancini has maintained the core of last season's side but has strengthened with some impressive dealings in the transfer market.

At left back, Fabio Grosso, who enjoyed a hugely impressive World Cup winning campaign for Italy, has arrived from Palermo and should bring some width down the left flank.

In midfield, France international Patrick Vieira, who has bags of European experience from his campaigns with Arsenal and Juventus, will bring some much-needed steel and aggression.

In attack, Brazilian Adriano finally has some genuine competition for a place in the starting lineup with the arrival of Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Juventus and the return of Argentine Hernan Crespo from Chelsea.

Inter reached the quarter-finals stage in the last two seasons and their steady improvement under Mancini has been due to some solid defending, based on the consistency of Colombian Ivan Cordoba and Argentines Walter Samuel and Javier Zanetti.

That trio remains the heart of the Inter defence and with thearrival of Grosso there appears no weak link at the back.

Esteban Cambiasso will be expected to be the midfield general alongside Vieira with Serbian Dejan Stankovic and Portuguese former Real Madrid winger Luis Figo bringing the creative flair.

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