News Focus
- Chivu lifted both the Serie A trophy and the Coppa Italia during his first complete season as Inter head coach
- The Romanian boss claims his players faced intense pressure after only three weeks of rest following the Club World Cup
- Captain Lautaro Martínez currently ranks as the club’s third highest goalscorer and will climb higher
- Chivu joins a select group of people who have won the Italian league with Inter as both a player and a manager
- The Nerazzurri controlled the domestic season despite losing the previous Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain
Cristian Chivu has praised his Inter Milan side for securing the domestic double this term. The Romanian manager believes his team succeeded even though they faced unfair pressure and a lack of preparation time.
Inter claimed both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia during the 2025-26 campaign. This success came in Chivu’s first full year as head coach, following the departure of Simone Inzaghi.
The former defender has now won the Italian league with the Nerazzurri as both a player and a manager. He spoke about this rare achievement in an interview with Bleacher Report.
“There is great responsibility when you represent this club,” Chivu said. “You know what Inter means to the supporters and to football history. It is special to experience this success from both sides of the touchline.”
Many experts predicted problems for Inter after they lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain last season. They also worried about the change of manager. However, the Milan giants dominated Serie A with little opposition.
Chivu feels the short break caused by the Club World Cup hurt his team’s preparation. “The expectation was very high,” he explained. “We did not have proper time to prepare. The players only had three weeks of holiday. You could see this during the season.”
Despite these difficulties, the coach praised his squad’s dedication. He said hard work and team spirit brought the trophies to San Siro.
The Romanian also saved special praise for club captain Lautaro Martínez. The Argentine striker currently sits third on Inter’s all-time scoring charts.
“Lautaro is a special talent,” Chivu stated. “He continues to play at the highest level and can still improve his numbers. When I look at our greatest ever strikers, he is already number three. He will write many more chapters in this club’s history.”