Cristian Chivu was full of pride after watching Inter Milan grind out a 1-0 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, the Romanian coach highlighted how his team responded to the challenge after the international break.
“The strength of this group is how they’ve adapted to the demands of this league,” Chivu began, with quotes via FCInterNews.
“It’s never easy after the disappointment of last season, when expectations were so high. The boys deserve great credit – they’re giving everything.
“Coming back from the break is always unpredictable, but we tried to pick up from where we left off against Cremonese.
“We pressed well and created some good counterattacks that we could have finished better.”
The coach admitted that fatigue set in after the interval but praised his players’ discipline.
“In the second half we dropped off physically, and Roma’s quality pushed us back.
“We defended carefully and, yes, we were a bit lucky at times.
“But I’ll gladly take these three points – it won’t be easy for anyone to win here. Gasperini’s team is strong and very well coached.”
Roma 0-1 Inter – Chivu Praises “Real Leader” Lautaro
Chivu also explained the substitution of captain Lautaro Martinez, who led the line despite not being fully fit.
“It was a bit of both, tactical and physical,” he revealed.
“He’d been struggling with a bad cold for a couple of days and still made the effort to get back to Italy as soon as possible.
“Like a true captain, he made himself available to the team and gave everything. It was his best version – humble, committed, and a real leader on and off the pitch.”
After the final whistle, cameras caught Chivu embracing his players during their celebrations – a moment the coach described with humour.
“I just happened to be in their way while they were celebrating,” he smiled.
“That moment showed how much this result meant. There are matches that define a team’s path, and tonight was one of them.
“We go home happier than we were before.”
Asked about his plans for the evening, Chivu ended on a light note:
“Milan-Fiorentina or NFL tomorrow? I’ve got both TV and iPad, so I could choose either – it depends on what my wife and kids say.”
… and suddenly Inter on the top of table ..
Oh, I forgot that we are fighting for relegation. I believe we need at least 16 points to avoid the relegation..
bonny won motm which is great for his motovation but i think sommer deserved it. With another contribution this month hes guaranteed a player of the month Oct.
These awards are great imo it helps building the momentum for players in his situation.
This year we have pio bonny and susic, these three give me excitement i did not have since we firet purchased lauti, and in black and white before that
This year biggest difference is Bony and Pio both hungry players. Inzaghi era dependence on veteran strikers was not working at all from Dzeko, Taremi, Arna and Correa. All of them peaked with no motivation so injury to Inter’s main forward players means it’s a disaster
I doubted ange and chivu at the beginning, now I’m glad they prove me wrong and hoping they will keep doing so. that night against roma was the best chivu’s inter so far. ange’s selfish player, a striker who wants to score by himself, we’ve been craving for so long or at least me, BUT it could be backfire though. there were times when he could just pass the ball instead of being selfish where his teammates were free and could score. but as long as he delivers, I’ll have no complaints. he’s a good backup for thuram now so we don’t need to worry the quality will drop significantly like it used to when he was absent
I’ve been saying since suning took over that inter can always aim high. the only problem is in their own head. it’s not just about inconsistent performances, but also players morale. acerbi and mkhi, the ones fans wanna get rid of, always have my back. they’re still far better than younger bloods. my only hope every year is always the same that lauti can have great impact in big matches. he mostly shines against underdogs