News Focus
- Inter Milan will sign Manuel Akanji permanently from Manchester City after a clause was triggered by their Serie A title win.
- Club president Beppe Marotta revealed Cristian Chivu was their preferred manager over Cesc Fabregas.
- The Nerazzurri secured their 21st league championship, marking Marotta’s first as president.
- Chivu impressed the board with his work at Parma despite having limited top-level coaching experience.
- The new manager successfully requested that young striker Pio Esposito remain in the first-team squad.
Beppe Marotta has announced that Inter Milan will sign Manuel Akanji on a permanent deal from Manchester City. The club president also explained why they selected Cristian Chivu as their new manager. He stated that Chivu was the perfect fit for the job, even though they had initially considered Cesc Fabregas for the role.
The Milan-based club recently secured their 21st league championship. This marks Marotta’s first Serie A triumph as president. He previously served as director general during their 2024 victory.
Marotta spoke to Radio Sportiva about the club’s success. He said that Inter are used to winning trophies. He noted that winning three championships in five seasons with different managers shows their strong sporting model works well.
Media reports suggested the club first wanted Fabregas from Como. However, when that move failed, they turned to Chivu. The president explained that Simone Inzaghi chose to leave the club. This forced them to search for a replacement manager.
Chivu had already worked in Italy’s top flight. He successfully kept Parma in the division last season. Although he lacked extensive coaching experience, the board decided to take a risk on him. This decision proved correct when the team performed well at the Club World Cup.
The Swiss defender joined on loan with a mandatory purchase clause. This became active after they won the league title. Marotta praised Akanji’s character both on and off the pitch. He confirmed the player will remain part of their squad next season.
The new boss also requested that young striker Pio Esposito stay with the team. The club agreed to this demand and are pleased with the progress of the young player.