Why are Inter Milan players wearing black armbands in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final vs PSG?

The 2025 UEFA Champions League has its decisive match this Saturday at Allianz Arena. Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are competing for the most prestigious club title in Europe, and one detail caught the attention of many viewers: the players from the Italian side are wearing black armbands.

This is because on Saturday, May 31, Ernesto Pellegrini, former owner of Inter Milan, passed away. In his memory, the club decided that its players would take the field wearing these mourning bands to honor him and show respect to his family and loved ones.

Pellegrini was 84 years old. He was a successful Italian entrepreneur known for his work in food services, cleaning, and corporate wellness, among other industries. After achieving financial success, he acquired the club in 1984, becoming its 17th chairman. He held that position for over a decade, until 1995.

During the 11 years Ernesto owned Inter Milan, the Italian giants experienced a period of institutional and sporting revival, marked by the signing of international stars such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lothar Matthaus, and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Ernesto Pellegrini (L) attends the Serie A match between FC Internazionale Milano and Cagliari Calcio at San Siro Stadium on February 23, 2014 in Milan, Italy.

Under Pellegrini’s leadership, Inter Milan won four titles. Two were domestic: the Serie A championship in the 1988-89 season (the only league title the club won in a 26-year span between 1980 and 2006), and the Supercoppa Italiana from the same year. The other two were continental titles: the UEFA Cup in 1991 and again in 1994.

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Inter Milan’s message in tribute to Pellegrini

Moments after news broke of Ernesto Pellegrini’s passing, Inter Milan published a heartfelt farewell on their official website. “For eleven years he led Inter with wisdom, honor and determination, leaving an indelible imprint in the history of our Club. FC Internazionale Milano and all the Nerazzurri people huddle around his family members,” they expressed.

“Not just football: a man capable of looking beyond his own interests, of spending his own time on those who suffer. The desire to give back, to give to others: the Pellegrini Foundation, Ruben’s restaurant, concrete actions to feed people in need. To give dignity,” the Italian side also highlighted. “In 2020, Inter inducted him into the club’s Hall of Fame, presenting him with the Special Award. A recognition of the passion, dedication, and goodness of a person who has made history, not only of Inter.”

Pellegrini’s beginnings as an Inter Milan fan

In the same message, Inter Milan reflected on Pellegrini’s early days as a fan of the club—something that would shape his life. “Sometimes love at first sight is inevitable, it is meant to trigger the spark of a lasting, eternal, total love. For Ernesto Pellegrini it was a crowded Inter vs. Juventus: 4 April 1954. He was 14 years old and the number of spectators at San Siro almost prevented him from seeing what was happening on the pitch. A pity, because on the pitch the Nerazzurri won 6-0,” they recounted on the official website.

“Enraptured by so much splendid class, the young Ernesto developed an infinite passion and admiration: ‘I was in love with the Nerazzurri colours, proud. And I dreamed: one day…’”, they continued. “The lure of Inter was strong, very strong. In 1984, when he had the opportunity, Pellegrini fulfilled a dream he had cradled since he was a child… to become the president of Inter.”