Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published on Thursday, 27 November 2025, 08:50 / Updated on Thursday, 27 November 2025 08:51
Cristi Chivu had a nervous breakdown after Inter lost in extra time in Madrid, against Atletico (1-2).
So far, since he was installed on Inter's bench, Cristi Chivu has followed the principle of “we win together, we lose together”. He never, especially after failures, pointed the finger at one player or another.
But after the failure in Madrid, a match lost in extra time, following a goal scored by Gimenez (90+3), the coach of the Nerazzurri abandoned “us” and even made nominations. The prestigious Italian daily “Gazzetta dello Sport” wrote about the “Rage of Chivu”, which had no less than 5 “clients”!
Cristi Chivu: “He could have done a little more with the ball”
“We had a game plan and it didn't work. In the second half, new, fresh players came in, we wanted to get more. The newcomers could have done a bit more with the ball, could have come with something extra. We will analyze everything. The derby with Milan drained us of energy”, Chivu is quoted in Gazzetta dello Sport.
Chivu made all the 5 substitutions he was entitled to from the 65th minute, when he introduced Susic and Thuram, then Pio Esposito and Frattesi (72nd minute), and in the 77th minute Luis Henrique. Moves that, in the opinion of the legendary Fabio Capello, have thrown Inter off balance.
Fabio Capello: “There were too many changes. It becomes very difficult to position yourself”
“There were too many changes, in my opinion, and probably the new players didn't find their positions. It becomes very difficult to position yourself, and if you don't put an obstacle in the way of a player like Gimenez, who is strong in the air… what happened happens,” concluded Capello.
At the end of the match, the club bosses entered the players' locker room at one point to talk to the players. Chivu pointed out that “this defeat can hurt. It's the second in a row. We have not won anything, but we are aware of everything. We have to be more aggressive and understand the moments of the game.”
