Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Friday, October 24, 2025, 8:19 p.m. / Updated Friday, October 24, 2025, 8:30 p.m.
mutually he felt obliged, in a patriotic impulse, to defend him Chivuafter Zenga criticized his new coach Inter. Not only did he do it, although Cristi's praisers had not died, on the contrary, proving that the game and the series of victories raised his quota by itself. But he saw fit to set up the three-time best goalkeeper in the world and the Italian coach who, “let's not forget, ate a loaf of bread with us”. It's just that the striker nicknamed “Il Fenomeno” by Fiorentina fans can't compare to his legend Inter. Not even as a coach!
Invited to the GSP “2 to 1” podcast, Mutu dismissed the one nicknamed “The Spider Man”, seeing in the hasty criticisms of the Italian (half-Romanian with children and an ex-Romanian wife) “a hint of racism, of superiority”. He argued that he was disturbed by the angle from which Zenga allowed himself as a Sky Sports analyst to give his opinion, “perhaps out of frustration”, about what Simone Inzaghi's successor should do. Adrian set it up, as between the legends, on the axis Fiorentina – Inter.
Hey Zenga, have some respect, he's an Inter legend, just like you! Chivu has been in Italy for so many years, winning the Champions League with Inter. And you are half Romanian, you also have children with a Romanian wife… When we talk about Italians, we do it with admiration.
Adrian Mutuformer Romanian striker
“Different ideas, more focus and fresh approach”
But what had Zenga actually said that was so disturbing and untrue after Inter suffered their second successive defeat this season, 3-4 in Il Derby d'Italia, after also losing 1-2 at home to Udinese? “When a new coach comes in, he can't just continue on the path of his predecessor. Different ideas, more focus and a fresh approach are needed. The problem is that we often rely on the same players out of gratitude, but if you really want to change, you have to have the courage to make different choices. I don't understand why Inter brought Pio Esposito back if they don't give him playing time.”
How did Chivu manage to turn the wheel 180 degrees and turn criticism and squinting into praise from everywhere, even from Capello, another original challenger to the Romanian who only had 13 Serie A match experience at a team he saved from relegation, and from Zenga? Fixed applying the advice of the former great Italian goalkeeper and learning from the experience of others, who did not judge him at all with malice or envy like “normally I would also have wanted to be in Chivu's place at Inter, what the hell, do you want me to lie to you?!”.
Adrian Mutu, guest on the GSP “2 to 1” podcast, photo: Ionuț Iordache (GSP.ro)
Cristi had the patience that Adrian did not find, he wanted to train, but he only comes to Italy from time to time, when he is invited by the club for which he scored 69 of the 103 goals in Serie A. Cristi enjoyed coaching the juniors and thought to start 2018 from the bottom with the squadra nerazzurra U14. While the former generational colleague at the national team preferred, at the same time, to be Reghecampf's key in Al-Wahda's youth team.
Coach and psychologist, Chivu conquered through speech and preparation
Chivu adopted a “low profile”, conquered the Italians through his speech, training and as a coach, but also as a psychologist. Because, first of all, the players traumatized by the correction suffered in Munich in the League final needed a mental reset. Although he wanted to change the system inherited from Inzaghi, he was shrewd and skilful enough to make a velvet revolution. But that doesn't mean that he didn't break from the past and the routine that the players kept from Simone!
Different ideas? Fresh approach and more focus? Credit to young players? In Italian, which he knows as well as Mutu, Chivu has implemented his own style: ultra-advanced defensive, pressing closer to the opponent's box, fewer building passes, quick transition, verticalization, aggressiveness, greater offensive strength and efficiency in concretizing scoring opportunities.
Plus harder, longer workouts, but done with more dedication and enjoyment by (with few exceptions) the same players of Inzaghi. And fresh, young blood pumped into the team's veins by Pio Esposito, his soul child from Primavera, whom he preferred instead of bringing in Hojlund. Or/and by Bonny, his favorite from Parma, to give just two eloquent examples.
We talk a lot about verticality and aggressiveness, but the biggest change is in the mind and the heart. Cristian may seem harsh, but he is a special man, just like his native country. We have fresh, young blood that puts everyone in a good mood and makes the fans happy. Inter have everything they need to try to win the championship
Walter Zengaformer great Italian goalkeeper, after AS Roma – Inter 0-1
Between the scudetto and Zenga's “event” in Serbia and the canceled title by Calciopoli and the EURO U21 semi-final for Mutu
The one who hurried was Mutu. Who, with all the respect and admiration for what he did in Italian football, in which I followed his developments, goals or the crisis after the transfer to Juventus (caused by the “cocaine case” from Chelsea), and in the national team, where he shares the goals record with Hagi, is not legitimized to attack Zenga in this harsh way. Neither his career as a player nor that of a coach is in his favor!
Walter Zenga came to Romania for the first time at FC Național, in 2002
Zenga was the best goalkeeper in the world three times. The legend of Inter, with 34 times more games than Mutu had at the Nerazzurri. He played in a World Championship semi-final, setting the longest streak of minutes without conceding a goal in 1990. He was 4th at the 1984 Olympic Games. And he won, beyond two UEFA Cups, lo scudetto. The title that was withdrawn from Mutu's record at Juventus due to the Calciopoli scandal. A championship that Mutu could never win outside the country (the two games played at Chelsea in the 2004-2005 season do not give him the right to the trophy in the Premier League). Not to mention the penalty that Buffon saved at EURO 2008.
Zenga, as modest as he was in his coaching career, still collected more than 100 games for four Serie A teams, having with Catania about as many games as Mutu at Rapid, in the longest experience on the technical benches of the clubs. In seven years, Adrian coached six teams, failing almost everywhere, including Baku. His only performance, but at the U21 level, was with the youth national team, which he took to fourth place at EURO 2019.
As for trophies, the statisticians do not record anything in the name of the “Brilliant”. While, after eating white bread with us and winning the title with Steaua, Zenga did the “event” in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade. Not a possible contract at Fiorentina, who “took the pulse to take over the U23 team, it all boils down to a discussion, not an official offer”. As Boethius said in ancient Rome, if you were silent, you remained a philosopher!
PS: We contacted Zenga to give us a response to Mutu's statements. The Sky Sports pundit preferred not to: “I don't care what he says. He didn't understand what I meant. He's talking about me without talking to me. Nobody cares about his opinions.”
