PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Cristian Chivu Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano reacts after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CF Monterrey and FC Internazionale Milano at Rose Bowl Stadium on June 17, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Cristian Chivu believes ‘the time has come to give something back’ to Inter as their new coach, but he is not concerned at the age of their defensive line.
The Nerazzurri begin their campaign at home to Torino on Monday at 17.30 UK time.
Chivu already made his debut on the bench at the FIFA Club World Cup, which means their pre-season was shorter than usual and the schedule thrown off.
“We’ve been working hard for three weeks and had the opportunity to play four friendly tests too,” he told DAZN Italia.
“I saw some good things and some that didn’t go so well, but that’s understandable at this stage of the summer. What I liked was that we didn’t have any serious injuries, as more than the result, it was important to keep an eye on the minutes each player had in his legs.
“We are starting to see some of the ideas and tactical principles that we tried to introduce.”
The attempt to sign Giovanni Leoni from Parma was scuppered by Liverpool, so Inter are left with perhaps the oldest defensive line in Serie A this season.
“I don’t look at the age of players, I look at their motivation, passion and desire to prove themselves every day. You do your talking on the pitch with motivation, discipline and hard work. These are more fundamental to me than your age.”
Inter are still active on the transfer market and secured midfielder Andy Diouf today from RC Lens for €20m plus €5m in add-ons.
“We have the same ideas on what players we need to add to this squad, but there is still time to get certain deals over the line. We don’t want to add quantity, but quality, people who can help raise the overall level of the group,” noted Chivu.
Simone Inzaghi left with his only season empty-handed, having finished runner-up in Serie A, the Champions League, and the Supercoppa Italiana.
“Inter’s objective is to be competitive on all fronts, whether it’s the Scudetto, Champions League or Coppa Italia, because I often see that tournament left out. We must be competitive and give our best, aim for 38 wins out of 38, even if it’s generally impossible, but that has to be the mentality.”
Chivu’s only previous senior coaching role was at Parma for a couple of months, so taking over at Inter is a huge step for the former defender and youth academy boss.
“This is a big responsibility for me and a wonderful one too. I’ve been with this club for a while, in other roles, and had wonderful years together that saw me grow as a man, a person, and a coach. Now the time has come for me to give something back to this club.”
