SOCCER: Chivu draws on playing days as Inter seal Serie A title

Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu said his experience as a former player played a key role in guiding the club to a 21st Serie A title after Sunday’s 2-0 home victory over Parma secured an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

The 45-year-old, who was appointed in June, spent seven seasons with Inter during his playing career and was part of Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning squad in 2010. He returned to the club as head coach following a difficult end to last season, when Inter narrowly missed out on the league title on the final day before suffering a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

“I just try to be the best version of myself, to help these players who sometimes need encouragement and sometimes need discipline,” Chivu told DAZN Italia. “I try to draw on the experience I had in many locker rooms and avoid repeating the mistakes I made as a player.”

“I try to be empathetic and understanding, and not focus on outside criticism, but only on what matters to those who support me. I am the coach, I will always be open to debate and risk—that’s part of the job.”

Inter have scored 82 goals this season, 30 more than Napoli, highlighting their attacking style under Chivu’s leadership. The Romanian coach said the team’s approach has been built on adaptability and game awareness.

“We always wanted to be proactive, but depending on the opponent, we also used different options, like deploying two playmakers,” he said. “It’s about understanding the different moments of the game.”

With three matches remaining, Inter sit on 82 points, 12 clear of second-placed Napoli. They will next travel to face Lazio on Saturday. -Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman/Reuters