What was an unconfirmed piece of information quickly became a certainty that shook Viale della Liberazione and Appiano Gentile on Wednesday, September 2, 2026: Piero Ausilio, after almost three decades at Inter, has left the club through an immediate termination of his contract. The separation came as the final act after a dispute over the terms of the renewal, as Oaktree had offered a one-year extension, until 2028, deemed insufficient by the manager, who preferred to leave immediately. To take on such a weighty legacy, Inter have chosen the path of internal continuity: the new Sporting Director appointed to take over the technical sector is precisely Dario Baccin.
Dario Baccin ready to take over Piero Ausilio's legacy
Even in the last summer session of the 2026 transfer window, Ausilio gave proof of his usual and impeccable professionalism. Despite the fact that the negotiations for the renewal had already reached a deadlock, the manager carried out the operations with the usual precision until the final gong of the summer session, completing the squad that would be handed over to the team and confirming an exemplary professional profile before the final farewell with the players in Appiano Gentile. Thus leaving Baccini with a strong team, with the championship title on his chest and with the objective of repeating the success, in search of a sustainable improvement.
The final confirmation came from President Marotta himself, who made Baccini official as the new Chief Sport Officer, responsible for the first team and the technical sector: "Dario knows the club well and today is ready to take on this new role that the ownership and I have thought of for him. It is an innovative choice, but in the sign of continuity of management. Dario", concluded Marotta, "has been a fundamental part of the technical sector for many years and is the manager who has worked on the creation of the U23 team in close collaboration with the first team, with a perspective of progressive and sustainable development of the club".
Who is Dario Baccin: from the field to the course in Coverciano
But if on the one hand the figure of Ausilio represents a thirty-year history, Dario Baccin embodies the ideal figure to give continuity to the project, at least according to the ideas of the directors and owners of Inter. He has gained a long direct experience on the field of play, as a footballer: after growing up in the youth teams of Brione and Soccer Boys of Turbigo, he joined the youth sector of Juventus, winning the Italian Primavera Cup 1994-95 as captain. Then Cesena, Chievo, Ternana, Napoli, the adventure at Al-Ittihad in Tripoli with Saadi Gaddafi. Then Ancona, Ascoli, Rimini and Treviso, in a movement up and down Italy, until his retirement from football at the age of 33, in 2010.
But Baccini's adventure in football was only halfway there: he immediately began his career as a manager, receiving the Sports Director diploma in Coverciano and starting as a scout at Siena, alongside Giorgio Perinetti, whom he then followed to Palermo, until the "call" of Inter in 2017, when the black and blue club secured his services, placing him precisely as Ausilio's replacement and defeating the competition from Juve.
Bacci's experience at Inter: scouting, abroad and youth
In almost ten years working at Appiano Gentile, Baccin has carried out several key tasks for the club's structure, gaining extensive experience on the ground. He has personally led the scouting network in Argentina and Brazil, in a closely monitored scouting work for talented profiles, including Julian Alvarez, Mateo Retegui and Bento. But he has also dealt with the management of young players, of the players that Inter has sent out on loan over the years, following the Primavera team and personally participating in the Inter U23 project, developing elements such as Pio Esposito and Yann Bisseck.
The connection with the black and blue colors: Baccin, the perfect successor to Ausilio
If Ausilio has represented the absolute connection with the black and blue colors, Baccin has been no less dedicated, embracing the cause of Inter beyond money. An exemplary proof was when he rejected a rich offer of around 2 million euros net per season from Al-Hilal to stay in Milan, without fuss and declarations, despite the departure of Simone Inzaghi. Now comes the big step, the promotion to the post of DS, a role in which he must confirm his deep knowledge of the environment and the consolidated channel of communication for more than a decade with the directors, staff and the team. With the first test that is already on the verge: the winter transfer market session in January.
