Inter Milan manager’s gesture backfires horribly after shock intervention in Champions League penalty decision

SIMONE Inzaghi’s hand gesture backfired after his chosen player MISSED a penalty against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

With Inter Milan 2-0 up, Inzaghi told his team that midfielder Piotr Zielinski should take the spot-kick in the first-leg of their last-16 clash.

Reuters

Piotr Zielinski missed out on the chance of putting Inter 3-0 up.[/caption]

Inter goalscorer Marcus Thuram drew a foul in the box after Jeyland Mitchell clipped the back of the Frenchman’s leg in the 63rd minute.

After initially waving on, referee Espen Eskas overturned his decision after being sent to the monitor.

The camera then panned to Inter boss Inzaghi who was holding the seven fingers up to his players waiting near the penalty spot.

The former Lazio boss held seven fingers up to signal Zielinski’s No.7 shirt on the pitch.

But Zielinski’s limp shot was easy kept out by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther.

The Polish star missed out on the chance to put Inter 3-0 up in the first-leg of their last-16 clash in the Netherlands.

Inzaghi’s mistimed intervention came about because No.1 penalty taker Hakan Calhanoglu was sitting on the bench.

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Zielinski had just returned to the starting line up at the expense of former Manchester United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Argentina World Cup winning penalty taker Lautaro Martinez was still on the pitch for Inter at the time of the decision.

Martinez doubled Inter’s lead in the 50th minute, after Thuram grabbed their opener.

But it was simply unlucky, as Zielinski scored his last two spot-kicks in the same game against Juventus in Serie A in October.

Usual penalty taker Halhanoglu has had a torrid time in 2025 and was benched after coming off injured during Inter’s 1-1 draw against title rivals Napoli.