Alexandro Bernabei was one of the best performers in Brazil while on loan there from Celtic.
Some pundits were even calling for him to be called up by the national side, unaware that he is actually Argentinian.
It seemed like a perfect situation for all parties – it hadn’t worked out for Bernabei in Glasgow, and Celtic ended up making a profit when they sold him to Internacional for £4.5 million.
Since then, things have taken something of a nosedive. Manager Roger Machado was sacked, and when the decorated Ramon Diaz replaced him, the side’s form got even worse.
With just one league match remaining, they now face the unthinkable prospect of relegation. So how on earth did this happen?
How ex-Celtic man Alexandro Bernabei reached the brink of relegation in Brazil
Inter are one of the most consistently competitive clubs in Brazil – since the turn of the century, they have been crowned South American champions twice.
They even defeated Barcelona to win the Club World Cup in 2006, on the greatest night of their modern history.
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Financial chaos led to the club’s first-ever relegation in 2016, but the club had recovered well since coming straight back up, finishing runners-up in the league twice in the last five years.
Bernabei became their second-most expensive signing since their return to the top flight when he joined back in January.
They reportedly beat a number of other Brazilian giants to his signature, after his exceptional loan spell which saw him named in the league’s team of the year.
But after an inconsistent 2025, a dismal run of just one win in nine has left the giants from Porto Alegre in an incredible seven-way battle to avoid relegation on the final day.
Of the seven teams whose fates are yet to be sealed, Inter sit on the lowest points total. Mathematically, they can only leapfrog three of them.
For this to happen, they need to beat Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday night, and hope that two of Vitoria, Fortaleza and Ceara lose.
So unfortunately for the ex-Celtic man, relegation looks to be by far the most likely outcome.
Bernabei has remained a regular in the side despite a rough season – should his side go down, he will likely be on the move again in January.
Alexandro Bernabei’s Celtic career
Bernabei was a key signing in Ange Postecoglou’s second summer at Celtic, but he was ultimately unable to displace Greg Taylor.
Where Taylor was very much a head-up player, Bernabei often put the team at risk with his attempts to dribble in dangerous areas.
Of course, well-documented issues off the field didn’t help matters.
He scored just one competitive goal in Hoops, in an away win at Ross County. He scored twice in Brendan Rodgers’ first pre-season back, but it quickly became apparent that the Northern Irishman wasn’t having him.
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