After promise shown in his debut season in charge, coach Ilario Castagner hoped the 1985-86 season would see Internazionale performing at a highly competitive level both at home and abroad. There was a successful European campaign which saw the nerazzurri reach and lose to Real Madrid in the UEFA Cup semi-finals for the second successive season, but domestic form did not quite match the exploits in Europe. Despite a strong core of Italian internationals and big-name foreign stars like Liam Brady and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Inter attained a sixth-placed Serie A finish. Rummenigge and Altobelli scored freely in a season in which the attacking part of the team was the most prominent