Mkhitaryan Unmasked: Mourinho’s insult, Inzaghi’s trust, and Inter’s shifting spotlight

Mkhitaryan's turbulent coach relationships

Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Inter Milan revisits his sometimes stormy relationships with coaches, including a bitter clash with Jose Mourinho during their Manchester United days, and the closing chapter of his time under Simone Inzaghi at the Nerazzurri.

In his memoirs, he recounts the heated exchange with Mourinho: "I told him you have criticized me for a year and a half since I joined Manchester United, and he replied: 'You're a scoundrel'." During training, the manager was silent, yet he would send me a WhatsApp message every night: "Miki, please leave." As January approached, the message softened a bit: "Miki, please leave, so I can get Alexis Sanchez." The deal eventually closed with Alexis Sanchez joining United, while Mkhitaryan continued in the Premier League with Arsenal, where, he suggests, everyone lived happily ever after, at least in his telling.

Note: Mkhitaryan and Mourinho briefly reunited in Rome in the 2021-2022 period, but they managed to move past their feud.

Inter era under Inzaghi and the Kevo leadership

He joined Inter Milan as a free agent in 2022 and worked with Simone Inzaghi, though tensions surfaced at the end when the coach reportedly agreed to move to Al Hilal, despite public denials. "Media claimed Inzaghi was ready to sign for Al Hilal, but he refused to discuss it with us. On June 4, Al Hilal announced their new coach: Inzaghi," he writes. He adds that he sent a thank-you message for the years they shared, noting the parting was not easy, especially in the way it happened. He even admits he considered the Saudi Pro League at one point.

Last season, Mkhitaryan argued that Inter sometimes looked "unplayable" at times, yet at other moments showed over-focus and a lack of concentration under Inzaghi. "We lost points because we believed we would win anyway," he says, adding that training with Cristian Kevo remains demanding; the coach's meticulous attention to detail keeps them sharp on matchdays.

"Under Kevo, sessions are intense and motivating; he keeps you focused, which helps on the pitch." He also notes that the psychological work done last season helped the team move forward.

Contract renewal negotiations: at 37, his Inter Milan contract runs until season's end, but Inter has reportedly identified a successor in Petar Sotchich. "Sotchich is serious, works hard, loves learning languages; speaking Italian will help him contribute more." He believes Sotchich has a bright future as a modern, technically gifted midfielder with great physical stamina, still just twenty-one and evolving tactically.

Punchline 1: If football feuds were a sniper competition, Mourinho would win every shot—Mkhitaryan’s career shows you can take the hit and still score from the rebound.

Punchline 2: The transfer market loves plot twists: the only thing louder than a stadium is a WhatsApp ping that changes a career in an instant.