1. Early life and playing career
1.1. Childhood and youth career
Filippo Inzaghi was born in Piacenza, Italy. His favorite footballers as a child were Paolo Rossi and Marco van Basten. He is the elder brother of fellow footballer Simone Inzaghi. Filippo began his football career playing for his hometown club Piacenza as a teenager, joining their youth academy and eventually progressing to the senior team in 1991.
In 1992, he was loaned to Serie C1 side Leffe, where he scored an impressive 13 goals in 21 matches. In 1993, Inzaghi moved to Serie B club Hellas Verona on loan, scoring 13 goals in 36 league appearances. Between 1993 and 1996, Inzaghi made 14 appearances for the Italy under-21 team, scoring three goals. He was also a member of the Italy under-21 squad that won the 1994 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he played alongside future senior national teammates like Christian Vieri and Alessandro Del Piero. Upon his return to Piacenza for the 1994-95 season, he scored 15 times in 37 games, helping his team win Serie B and proving himself to be an exciting young prospect.
1.2. Early senior career
Inzaghi made his Serie A debut when he transferred to Parma in 1995. However, during the 1995-96 season, he struggled to find form, scoring only twice in 15 league matches. One of these two goals came against his former club, Piacenza, which reportedly brought him to tears. He also added two goals in European competitions that season. Towards the end of the season, he suffered a broken ankle, which kept him off the bench.
The following season, 1996-97, Inzaghi moved to Atalanta. It was at Atalanta that his career truly took off, as he finished as the Capocannoniere (Serie A's top scorer) with 24 goals after scoring against every team in the league. For his impressive performances, he was awarded Serie A Young Footballer of the Year and served as team captain in the last game of the season.
2. Club career highlights
Inzaghi's club career was marked by significant spells at two of Italy's biggest clubs, Juventus and AC Milan, where he achieved numerous titles and broke several goalscoring records.
2.1. Juventus
Following his breakthrough season at Atalanta, Inzaghi moved to Juventus in 1997 for a reported 23.00 B ITL. He signed a five-year contract with an estimated annual salary of 2.00 B ITL. At Juventus, he formed a formidable attacking partnership with Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane, a tandem which would last for four seasons under managers Marcello Lippi and subsequently Carlo Ancelotti, marking Inzaghi's longest stint with one team at that point in his career.
During his first season with the Bianconeri, 1997-98, Inzaghi scored 18 goals in Serie A, including a decisive, Scudetto-winning hat-trick against Bologna, helping Juventus secure the league title. He also scored two goals as Juventus defeated Vicenza 3-0 in the 1997 Supercoppa Italiana. In the Champions League, he contributed six goals to help Juventus reach the final, although they were ultimately defeated 1-0 by Real Madrid. During this period, he became the first player to score two Champions League hat-tricks-against Dynamo Kyiv and Hamburger SV.
The 1998-99 season was less successful for Juventus, as they were defeated in the 1998 Supercoppa Italiana by Lazio and finished seventh in Serie A. Inzaghi still managed to score 20 goals in all competitions, finishing the season as the club's top-scorer despite suffering from adductor inflammation. Six of his goals came in the Champions League, as Juventus were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions Manchester United. In the second leg of the semi-finals in Turin, Inzaghi scored two goals in the first ten minutes, but Manchester United eventually came back to win the match 3-2. Off the pitch, he was also called as a witness in a doping investigation focusing on Juventus players.
Inzaghi helped Juventus win the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring five goals in the semi-finals against Rostov, and two in the finals against Rennes, which qualified Juventus for the UEFA Cup that season. Inzaghi scored 15 goals in Serie A, as Juventus narrowly missed out on the title to Lazio, being defeated on the final matchday. The following season, 2000-01, Inzaghi managed 11 goals in Serie A as Juventus finished second in the league for the second consecutive season. He also scored five goals in the UEFA Champions League, including a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw against Hamburger SV, although Juventus were eliminated in the first group stage. With 16 goals in all competitions, he was Juventus's top goalscorer for the third consecutive season. However, his once-effective partnership with Del Piero had become less fruitful in recent seasons, due to a perceived lack of understanding, individualism, and a strained relationship both on and off the pitch.
2.2. AC Milan
Despite scoring 89 goals in 165 games for the Bianconeri, Inzaghi found himself benched in favor of David Trezeguet and on July 2, 2001, signed for AC Milan for a reported 70.00 B ITL (or 45.00 B ITL cash plus Cristian Zenoni). Juventus announced that the sale of Inzaghi produced a capital gain of 31.10 M EUR to the club.
During the 2001-02 campaign, Inzaghi suffered a knee injury and missed the first half of the season. Upon his return, he was able to forge a strong goalscoring partnership with Andriy Shevchenko, and he soon earned many trophies with the Rossoneri under new manager Carlo Ancelotti. These titles included the 2002-03 UEFA Champions League (in which Milan defeated his previous team, Juventus, in the final on penalties), along with the 2002-03 Coppa Italia (scoring in a 2-2 draw in the second leg), the 2003 UEFA Super Cup, the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana, and the 2003-04 Scudetto. In the 2002-03 Champions League campaign, he scored his record third Champions League hat-trick against Deportivo de La Coruña in the Group Stage and a decisive goal in quarter-finals against Ajax, totaling 12 European goals that season. In November 2004, he signed a contract extension with the club.
Inzaghi fully recovered from the persistent knee injuries that had plagued him for two years and regained his predatory goalscoring form by scoring 12 goals in 22 Serie A matches in 2005-06, along with four goals in five Champions League appearances, including two against Lyon in the quarter-finals and another two against Bayern Munich in the first knockout stage. He scored the decisive goal against the Bavarians in the 2007 quarter-finals, helping Milan reach the semi-finals of the competition. On March 8, 2006, he scored his 50th goal in European cup competitions.
On May 23, 2007, in the 2007 UEFA Champions League final in Athens, he scored both of Milan's goals in their 2-1 victory over Liverpool in a rematch of the 2005 final, avenging the previous defeat. He was named Man of the Match for his performance, which was described as embodying Milan's essence. After the match, Inzaghi stated, "It's a dream since I was a child to score twice in the final, and the ones I scored yesterday evening were the most important in my life. It was an unforgettable game. It's something that will stay with me all my life and two goals in the final speaks for itself." Despite some British newspapers claiming his first goal was a handball, the general consensus was that it was not. Fabio Cannavaro remarked upon seeing the goal, "It's not luck. That's Inzaghi."
At the start of the 2007-08 season, he picked up where he left off in Athens, scoring the equalizer in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup in Milan's 3-1 victory over Sevilla. Inzaghi capped off the year by scoring two goals in the final of the 2007 Club World Cup, helping Milan win 4-2 against Boca Juniors to take revenge for the defeat on penalties in 2003. These five goals in three finals highlighted his ability to perform in crucial matches.
On February 24, 2008, Inzaghi scored the match-winning goal in Milan's 2-1 win over Palermo with a diving header after coming into the game from the bench, marking his first Serie A goal in over a year. This was followed by ten more goals in the league, the last against Udinese. This strike against Udinese was his 100th goal for the club in official games. In November 2008, Inzaghi agreed to a contract extension with Milan until June 2010.
On March 8, 2009, Inzaghi scored his first hat-trick of the season for Milan against Atalanta, leading his team to a 3-0 victory at the San Siro. His 300th career goal came in the 5-1 thrashing of Siena away from home. He then went on to score three goals against Torino, his second professional hat-trick in that season. Scoring this hat-trick enabled him to set a record for the player with the most hat-tricks in Serie A over the last 25 years. With ten hat-tricks in Serie A, Inzaghi is ahead of Giuseppe Signori (9), Hernán Crespo (8), Roberto Baggio, Marco van Basten, Gabriel Batistuta, Abel Balbo, Vincenzo Montella (7), Antonio Di Natale, and David Trezeguet (6). Inzaghi scored one hat-trick for Atalanta, four for Juventus, and five for Milan.
In the 2009-10 season, under manager Leonardo, Inzaghi was relegated to the role of backup player with his contract set to expire in June 2010. On May 21, 2010, he was offered a new one-year contract which would last until June 30, 2011.
On November 3, 2010, in the UEFA Champions League 2010-11 Group Stage campaign, with Milan trailing by 1-0 to Real Madrid, Inzaghi came off the bench in the second half and scored a brace to give Milan a 2-1 lead. Pedro León, however, equalized in the 94th minute, with the final score ending 2-2. On that occasion, he became the new all-time top scorer of all European club competitions with 70 goals, surpassing Gerd Müller and tying Raúl González (who later surpassed him). He also became the second-oldest player to score in the Champions League, aged 37 years and 85 days, behind only Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, a record now surpassed by Inzaghi's compatriot Francesco Totti. With these two goals, Inzaghi went ahead of his idol Marco van Basten on the club list of the all-time top goalscorers with 125 goals. He celebrated this milestone by preparing a special shirt with "315 INZAGHI" after scoring his 300th career goal and "70 INZAGHI" after reaching 70 European goals.
On November 10, 2010, Inzaghi suffered a serious injury while playing for Milan against Palermo. A statement on the official Milan club website confirmed that Inzaghi had suffered a lesion of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and associated lesion to the external meniscus of the left knee. It was thought he would be out for the rest of the season. Due to his age, this injury could have ended his career; nonetheless, Inzaghi remained optimistic. On May 7, 2011, with Inzaghi still out recovering from his injury, Milan won the 2010-11 Serie A title. After being sidelined by injury for six months, he came off the bench for the first time since his injury on May 14, with Milan defeating Cagliari 4-1. He extended his contract until June 2012 during the 2011-12 pre-season.
Just like with Andrea Pirlo in 2011, Milan decided not to renew the contracts of several veteran players at the end of the season, and Inzaghi was one of those, along with Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, and Gianluca Zambrotta. He played his final game for Milan against Novara on May 13, 2012, and marked his performance by scoring the winning goal, assisted by Seedorf. On July 24, 2012, Inzaghi announced his retirement from professional football to start a coaching career.
2.3. European competition records
With 70 goals, Inzaghi is the sixth-highest scorer in European club competitions, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Raúl, and Karim Benzema.
He became the first player to score two Champions League hat-tricks-both with Juventus-when he netted a treble during a 4-4 group stage draw with Hamburger SV on September 13, 2000; his first was in a 4-1 victory over Dynamo Kyiv during the 1997-98 quarter-finals. Inzaghi scored a record third Champions League hat-trick in a 4-0 win against Deportivo de La Coruña in the 2002-03 season, while playing for Milan. This record would later be tied by Michael Owen, who scored two hat-tricks for Liverpool and a third for Manchester United. As of November 6, 2007, Inzaghi had scored 45 Champions League goals (including preliminary rounds) and 62 European cup goals in 97 matches. He surpassed Gerd Müller's record of 62 European club competition goals by scoring his 63rd goal against Celtic on December 4, 2007.
3. International career
Between 1993 and 1996, Inzaghi made 14 appearances for the Italy under-21 team, scoring three goals. He was also a member of the Italy under-21 squad that won the 1994 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Inzaghi earned his first senior cap for Italy in the Tournoi de France, against Brazil on June 8, 1997, under his former under-21 manager Cesare Maldini. He provided an assist to goalscorer Alessandro Del Piero in the 3-3 draw. He scored his first goal for Italy on November 18, 1998, in a 2-2 friendly draw against Spain. He has since scored 25 goals in 57 appearances. He was called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup, and the 2006 World Cup.
Although Inzaghi went scoreless throughout the 1998 World Cup, as he was mainly deployed as a substitute, he came off the bench to set up a goal for Roberto Baggio in Italy's final group match against Austria, which ended in a 2-1 win and allowed Italy to top their group. Italy were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties to hosts and eventual champions France.
At Euro 2000, he was one of Italy's starting strikers under the new Italy manager Dino Zoff. He scored two goals throughout the tournament; his first came from a penalty, in Italy's 2-1 opening group win over Turkey, in which he was named man of the match. His second came in a 2-0 win over Romania in the quarter-finals of the competition. He also set up Stefano Fiore's goal in a 2-0 win over co-hosts Belgium in his nation's second group match of the tournament. His performances helped Italy reach the final, where they were defeated by France once again, on a golden goal. Along with Francesco Totti, he was Italy's top-scorer throughout the tournament.
Under Zoff's replacement, Giovanni Trapattoni, Inzaghi was Italy's top goalscorer during the qualifying rounds of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 qualifiers. He scored his first and only international hat-trick in a 4-0 home win over Wales on September 6, 2003. However, he missed the latter tournament, Euro 2004, due to injury. He went scoreless throughout the 2002 World Cup, making two appearances, as Italy were controversially eliminated in the round of 16 to co-hosts South Korea. In Italy's 2-1 loss to Croatia in their second group match, Inzaghi had a goal disallowed after referee Graham Poll claimed that Inzaghi had grabbed an opponent's shirt. Inzaghi also had another goal wrongly disallowed in Italy's final group match against Mexico, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Inzaghi's persistent knee and ankle injuries put a halt to his international play for almost two years before his resurgence at club level, which resulted in being called up by Italy coach Marcello Lippi for the 2006 World Cup final tournament. Due to the abundance of other top strikers such as Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, and Luca Toni, Inzaghi made his only appearance-subbing on for Alberto Gilardino-in Italy's final group stage match against the Czech Republic on June 22, 2006. He scored his only goal in the tournament, rounding Petr Čech in a one-on-one encounter to net Italy's second goal, which made him the oldest player to have scored for Italy in a World Cup, after Daniele Massaro. Italy went on to win the tournament, defeating France on penalties in the final.
Following Italy's fourth World Cup victory, Inzaghi made six appearances under new manager Roberto Donadoni in Italy's UEFA Euro 2008 qualification campaign, scoring three goals, two of which came in a 2-1 away win against the Faroe Islands on June 2, 2007. He was not called up for the final tournament, however, where Italy were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals on penalties. He made his last appearance for Italy on September 8, 2007, in a 0-0 draw against France in Milan.
Inzaghi is currently the sixth-highest goalscorer in the Italian national team's history, with 25 goals, alongside Adolfo Baloncieri and Alessandro Altobelli.
4. Playing style
Filippo Inzaghi was an intelligent, extremely fast, agile, and opportunistic player, known for his excellent reactions and a lanky, slender physique. Although not considered very technically gifted, he was renowned for his great skill in taking advantage of the carelessness of his opponents, his exceptional positional sense in the penalty area, and his keen eye for goal. These qualities earned him a reputation as a "goal poacher" due to his playing style and tendency to operate mainly in the penalty box. His precise timing and ability to find spaces and anticipate opponents to get on the end of passes made him one of the most prolific strikers of his era. He was often described as a player who lived on the offside line.
When he was first called up to the national team, other Italian players were reportedly surprised at his perceived lack of technical accomplishment but came to accept him because he scored so frequently. Johan Cruyff famously described this contrast: "Look, actually he can't play football at all. He's just always in the right position." Fans nicknamed him Superpippo, the Italian name for Super Goof, the superhero alter ego of cartoon character Goofy (Pippo being a common hypocorism of his first name Filippo). He was also known as Alta tensione ("High Tension").
Tactically, Inzaghi was noted for his vision and ability to read the game, as well as his outstanding offensive movement off the ball. He excelled at playing off the shoulders of the last defender and timing his attacking runs to beat the offside trap. This allowed him to consistently receive passes in dangerous positions and provide depth to his team's attack, leading long-time Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to quip: "That lad must have been born offside."
Although in the past, due to his poor defensive work-rate and lack of notable technical skills, strength in the air, or long-range striking ability, he was initially accused by some in the sport of being a limited striker or a "lucky" player. He also drew criticism at times for being selfish, for not participating sufficiently in the build-up of plays, and for going to ground too easily. Despite these criticisms and a perceived lack of significant natural talent, Inzaghi was highly praised by several of his former managers and teammates for his prolific goalscoring. Inzaghi himself and others attribute his success, beyond technical prowess, to his immense personal drive, intelligence, and determination. Due to his opportunistic playing style, Inzaghi was frequently compared to Paolo Rossi throughout his career. Despite his prolific goalscoring, Inzaghi was often considered injury-prone throughout his career.
Fabio Cannavaro included Inzaghi in his list of top three formidable forwards, citing his "excellent nose for goal" and the difficulty of consistently scoring for a large club like AC Milan. Oliver Kahn, the German goalkeeper, stated that while Ronaldo was the strongest forward he faced, Inzaghi was the most "annoying" because "he always scored against me in important matches. Always! What an irritating guy!"
His total 300 career goals (as of March 2009) were distributed across categories: 145 in Serie A, 28 in Serie B, and 13 in Serie C1. For national teams, he scored 25 for Italy and 3 for the U21 team. In cup competitions, he tallied 15 goals in the Coppa Italia, 66 in European club competitions, 3 in Italian and European Supercups, and 2 in the FIFA Club World Cup. Regarding goal-scoring methods, 123 were with his right foot, 79 with his left foot, 63 with his head, 17 from penalties, 14 from other parts of his leg ("legs"), 3 from free-kicks, and 1 from his shoulder. This indicates his characteristic ability to score "messy" goals from various parts of his body.
5. Managerial career
Inzaghi began his coaching career at the start of the 2012-13 season, signing a two-year deal as the manager of AC Milan's Allievi (under-17) team. He then coached the Primavera (under-19) team for the 2013-14 season.
5.1. AC Milan (managerial)
On June 9, 2014, Inzaghi was named manager of Milan's first team after the dismissal of his former Rossoneri teammate Clarence Seedorf. In Inzaghi's first match as a manager in Serie A on August 31, Milan defeated Lazio 3-1 at the San Siro. Inzaghi then led Milan to a second consecutive win in a match that ended with a 5-4 Milan win against Parma. On June 4, 2015, Adriano Galliani, the CEO of Milan, announced that Inzaghi would not be the coach for the next season, after the club finished 10th in Serie A. He was officially dismissed on June 16, 2015.
5.2. Venezia
On June 7, 2016, Inzaghi was appointed as the new coach of ambitious Lega Pro club Venezia. On April 19, 2017, after beating Parma to top spot, he won promotion to Serie B as champions. He also won the Coppa Italia Lega Pro in the same season.
During the 2017-18 season, Inzaghi guided the Venetians to a fifth-place finish in Serie B, finishing in the playoffs positions to earn promotion to Serie A. After eliminating Perugia (coached by his former teammate Alessandro Nesta) in the preliminary round, his team was defeated by Palermo in the semi-finals.
5.3. Bologna
On June 13, 2018, Inzaghi was announced as the new head coach of top-flight Bologna, taking over from Roberto Donadoni and signing a contract until June 30, 2020. He faced a Lazio side coached by his younger brother Simone in an eventual 0-2 defeat on December 26. Following a record of two wins, eight draws, and eleven losses in 21 games, he was dismissed on January 28, 2019, and replaced by Siniša Mihajlović.
5.4. Benevento
On June 22, 2019, Inzaghi was appointed manager of Benevento in Serie B, with a contract until June 30, 2020. On June 30 the following year, his club achieved promotion as champions with seven games remaining, reaching Serie A for the second time in their history. On his Serie A debut for the team, they won 3-2 at Sampdoria on September 26, having been losing 2-0. Benevento ended the 2020-21 Serie A season in eighteenth place, being relegated back to Serie B after only one season. As a consequence of the events, Inzaghi was not offered a new contract and left Benevento afterwards.
5.5. Brescia
On June 9, 2021, Inzaghi was appointed manager of Brescia in Serie B, signing a contract until June 30, 2023. On August 16, Inzaghi made his debut for Brescia in the first round Coppa Italia match, losing 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw in extra-time.
On March 23, 2022, Inzaghi was dismissed by club chairman Massimo Cellino, leaving the club in fifth place in the league table after 31 league matches (14 wins, 12 draws, 5 losses). There were reports of disagreements with the chairman. After his successor Eugenio Corini was eliminated in the promotion playoff semifinals by Monza, on May 25, 2022, Cellino formally reappointed Inzaghi as head coach, due to a clause that legally forbade his sacking if Brescia were placed in one of the top eight league places.
5.6. Reggina
On July 12, 2022, Inzaghi was appointed manager of Reggina in Serie B, signing a three-year deal. After guiding Reggina to a spot in the promotion playoffs, he was released together with all players and staff as Reggina were excluded from Serie B due to financial issues, thus finding himself without a job by the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
5.7. Salernitana
On October 10, 2023, relegation-struggling Serie A club Salernitana announced the appointment of Inzaghi in place of outgoing Paulo Sousa. He was sacked on February 11, 2024, after managing 16 games with a record of 2 wins, 4 draws, and 10 losses, with Salernitana at the bottom of the Serie A table. He was replaced by Fabio Liverani.
5.8. Pisa
On July 3, 2024, Inzaghi signed for Serie B club Pisa.
6. Honours and achievements
6.1. As a player
Piacenza
- Serie B: 1994-95
Juventus
- Serie A: 1997-98
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1997
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
AC Milan
- Serie A: 2003-04, 2010-11
- Coppa Italia: 2002-03
- UEFA Champions League: 2002-03, 2006-07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
Italy Youth
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1994
Italy
- FIFA World Cup: 2006
- UEFA European Championship: Runner-up 2000
Individual
- Serie A Young Footballer of the Year: 1997
- Capocannoniere: 1996-97
- 2007 UEFA Champions League final: Man of the Match
- Italy's top goal scorer in UEFA club competition records
- AC Milan's top goal scorer in European competitions
- Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 2007
- AC Milan top goalscorer: 2002-03 Season
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
- Niccolo Galli Memorial Award
- Grand Prix Sport And Communication Award
- Gran Galà del Calcio AIC Lifetime Achievement Award: 2012
- Player Career Award in the Globe Soccer Awards: 2014
6.2. As a manager
Venezia
- Lega Pro: 2016-17
- Coppa Italia Lega Pro: 2016-17
Benevento
- Serie B: 2019-20
Individual
- Panchina d'Argento: 2020
6.3. Orders and special awards
- 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000
- 4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006
- CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo: 2006
7. Career statistics
7.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Piacenza | 1991-92 | Serie B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1994-95 | Serie B | 37 | 15 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 41 | 17 | |||
| Total | 39 | 15 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 44 | 17 | ||||
| Leffe (loan) | 1992-93 | Serie C1 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 13 | ||
| Verona (loan) | 1993-94 | Serie B | 36 | 13 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 37 | 14 | ||
| Parma | 1995-96 | Serie A | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | - | 22 | 4 | |
| Atalanta | 1996-97 | Serie A | 33 | 24 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 34 | 25 | ||
| Juventus | 1997-98 | Serie A | 31 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 27 |
| 1998-99 | Serie A | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 20 | |
| 1999-2000 | Serie A | 33 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 10 | - | 43 | 26 | ||
| 2000-01 | Serie A | 28 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | - | 34 | 16 | ||
| Total | 120 | 57 | 7 | 2 | 34 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 165 | 89 | ||
| AC Milan | 2001-02 | Serie A | 20 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | - | 28 | 16 | |
| 2002-03 | Serie A | 30 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 12 | - | 49 | 30 | ||
| 2003-04 | Serie A | 14 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 7 | |
| 2004-05 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2005-06 | Serie A | 23 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | - | 31 | 17 | ||
| 2006-07 | Serie A | 20 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 6 | - | 37 | 11 | ||
| 2007-08 | Serie A | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 18 | |
| 2008-09 | Serie A | 26 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | - | 32 | 16 | ||
| 2009-10 | Serie A | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | - | 33 | 5 | ||
| 2010-11 | Serie A | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | - | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2011-12 | Serie A | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 1 | ||
| Total | 202 | 73 | 20 | 10 | 72 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 300 | 126 | ||
| Career total | 466 | 197 | 35 | 16 | 112 | 69 | 10 | 6 | 623 | 288 | ||
7.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1997 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1999 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2000 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2001 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total | 57 | 25 | |
:Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Inzaghi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 18, 1998 | Stadio Arechi, Salerno, Italy | Spain | 1-0 | 2-2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2-1 | |||||
| 3 | December 16, 1998 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy | World Stars | 1-0 | 6-2 | Friendly (Not FIFA International 'A' match) |
| 4 | March 27, 1999 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | Denmark | 1-0 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualification |
| 5 | March 31, 1999 | Stadio del Conero, Ancona, Italy | Belarus | 1-1 | 1-1 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualification |
| 6 | June 5, 1999 | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy | Wales | 2-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualification |
| 7 | June 11, 2000 | GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands | Turkey | 2-1 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2000 |
| 8 | June 24, 2000 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Romania | 2-0 | 2-0 | UEFA Euro 2000 |
| 9 | September 3, 2000 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary | Hungary | 1-0 | 2-2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 2-1 | |||||
| 11 | October 7, 2000 | San Siro, Milan, Italy | Romania | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | March 24, 2001 | Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania | Romania | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 2-0 | |||||
| 14 | March 28, 2001 | Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy | Lithuania | 1-0 | 4-0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 3-0 | |||||
| 16 | September 6, 2003 | San Siro, Milan, Italy | Wales | 1-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 17 | 2-0 | |||||
| 18 | 3-0 | |||||
| 19 | September 10, 2003 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia | Serbia and Montenegro | 1-0 | 1-1 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 20 | October 11, 2003 | Stadio Oreste Granillo, Reggio Calabria, Italy | Azerbaijan | 2-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 21 | 4-0 | |||||
| 22 | June 22, 2006 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany | Czech Republic | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 23 | September 2, 2006 | Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy | Lithuania | 1-1 | 1-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 24 | June 2, 2007 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | 1-0 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 25 | 2-0 |
7.3. Managerial
| Team | From | To | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Milan | June 9, 2014 | June 16, 2015 | 14|13|13|58|52|+6|35.00 | |||||||
| Venezia | June 7, 2016 | June 11, 2018 | 47|31|17|138|88|+50|49.47 | |||||||
| Bologna | June 13, 2018 | January 28, 2019 | 4|8|12|21|36|-15|16.67 | |||||||
| Benevento | June 22, 2019 | May 24, 2021 | 33|20|25|112|110|+2|42.31 | |||||||
| Brescia | June 9, 2021 | March 23, 2022 | 14|13|5|50|34|+16|43.75 | |||||||
| Reggina | July 12, 2022 | August 31, 2023 | 17|4|19|49|47|+2|42.50 | |||||||
| Salernitana | October 10, 2023 | February 11, 2024 | 3|4|11|21|36|-15|16.67 | |||||||
| Pisa | July 3, 2024 | 18|6|5|48|24|+24|62.07 | ||||||||
| Total | 150|99|107|497|427|+70|42.13 | |||||||||
8. Legacy and evaluation
Filippo Inzaghi's overall impact on football is multifaceted, marked by his unique and highly effective playing style that defied conventional notions of a technically gifted striker. As a player, he is primarily remembered as an exceptional "goal poacher" whose success was built on astute off-the-ball movement, precise timing, and an uncanny ability to find space and anticipate defensive errors. His signature move, often referred to as "living on the offside line," involved intelligently timing his runs to beat defensive traps, a characteristic so pronounced that Sir Alex Ferguson famously quipped, "That lad must have been born offside."
Despite initial criticisms regarding his lack of traditional technical skill, aerial prowess, or long-range striking ability, Inzaghi consistently delivered goals, particularly in crucial matches. His former teammates and coaches, including Fabio Cannavaro and Oliver Kahn, lauded his relentless determination, intelligence, and a remarkable "nose for goal" that allowed him to score consistently at the highest level for major clubs like Juventus and AC Milan. This opportunistic style led to comparisons with Paolo Rossi. His 300 career goals showcased a diverse range of finishes, including those from his right foot, left foot, head, penalties, and even "messy" goals from other parts of his leg, highlighting his adaptability and single-minded focus on finding the net. The phrase "Alla Inzaghi" (Inzaghi style) emerged in Italian football to describe strikers who specialize in reacting quickly to loose balls and exploiting defensive chaos. While his career was also marked by a propensity for injuries and occasional accusations of selfishness or diving, his unwavering personal drive and effectiveness in front of goal solidified his legacy as one of his generation's most prolific and impactful strikers.
As a manager, Inzaghi has shown a mixed record, characterized by a successful period guiding Venezia to promotion from Lega Pro to Serie B and securing the Coppa Italia Lega Pro, followed by leading Benevento to a dominant Serie B title win and promotion to Serie A. His spells in Serie A with AC Milan, Bologna, and Salernitana were less successful, often marked by short tenures and club struggles, leading to dismissals. However, his work in the lower divisions demonstrated his capability to build and motivate teams, achieving promotions and titles. His return to Pisa in Serie B indicates his continued dedication to coaching and his desire to replicate his past successes.
9. In popular culture
Inzaghi features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover for the Italian edition of FIFA 2001, and was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14. In 2015, the arcade game company Konami announced that Inzaghi would feature in their football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 as one of the new myClub Legends.