Ahead of Inter vs. Bayern, the double exes of the match

Inter vs. Bayern München is a match steeped in history, with great battles fought between brilliant players. Ahead of the Champions League quarter-final, we take a look back at some players who have played for both teams.

The first big name is Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern star in the 70's and 80's and winner of two Ballon d'Or prizes, who was a key man for the Bavarian side before moving to Inter in 1984. He played for three seasons at Inter scoring 42 goals.

At the end of the 80's, Inter signed two icons of German football, Lothar Matthäus and Andreas Brehme. The previous was the key feature of the Inter midfield, winning the record Scudetto in the 1988/89 season and winning the Ballon d'Or in 1990. He scored 53 goals in 153 appearances. The free-kick against Napoli which proved decisive in the Scudetto win and the penalty against Roma in the first-leg at San Siro of the first UEFA Cup win in Inter's history, stick in the minds of Inter fans. The unforgettable Andy Brehme, however, left his mark with his left foot, which also proved in the final of the 1990 World Cup as he scored a penalty. He revolutionised the left-back role during his time with Inter, distinguishing himself in the attacking phase as a result of his extraordinary ability when it came to set-pieces. After arriving in 1988, Brehme made 154 appearances and scored 12 goals. The 1990 German World Champion Jürgen Klinsmann, joined Matthäus and Brehme at Inter. He scored 40 goals in two seasons before returning to Bundesliga to play for Bayern München, where he continued to shine.

The Swiss midfielder Ciriaco Sforza, had two spells at Bayern (during the 1995/96 season and then from 2000 to 2002), with a season at Inter in between in the 1996/97 season. For Inter, he scored two goals in the space of three days against Udinese and then Guingamp with a powerful shot from twenty metres. In total, he made 40 appearances and scored four goals in all competitions. In more recent times, the defensive giant Lúcio played for both sides. After winning different trophies with Bayern, the Brazilian became a pillar of Mourinho's Inter side, winning the Treble in 2010. In the following two seasons, he also won a Supercoppa Italiana, the Club World Cup and a second Coppa Italia. Following on, we find Xherdan Shaqiri, who after spending three seasons at Bayern, moved to Inter in 2015 for a brief six-month spell. Lukas Podolski also followed, arriving to the club in January 2015. The German forward played for the Bavarian side from 2006 until 2009, for three seasons. We also find Ivan Perisic among this group of players, who went on loan to Bayern for the 2019/20 season after a spell at Inter in, proving key in Bayern's treble win. The Croatian winger then returned to Inter winning a Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, making 254 appearances and scoring 55 goals. Arturo Vidal also played for both teams. The Chilean midfielder won titles at Bayern and Inter, contributing to the 2021 Scudetto win.

Philippe Coutinho also played in Milano and München. The Brazilian star came to Inter in the 2010/11 season and spent three seasons with the club, as well as spending six months. He scored five goals and made 47 appearances for the club and won a Club World Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. He played for Bayern in the 2019/20 season and won the Champions League . The final player was João Cancelo, who, after leaving Inter in the 2017/18 season, had a brief spell with Bayern in 2023, proving his dynamism and winning the Bundesliga.

Two legendary clubs who have had champions throughout their histories: Inter and Bayern will face off again, the with the weight of their glorious traditions on their shoulders.