The Italians, immediately after Inter – Napoli: “A legitimate question in a period full of errors” + What mark did they give to Cristi Chivu
Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Sunday, January 11, 2026 23:46 / Updated Monday, January 12, 2026 00:16
The Italian press analyzed the draw between Inter Milan and Napoliscore 2-2, from round number 20 in Serie A. Cristi Chivu's team (45 years old) remains in first place in the championship.
Chivu's side failed to beat Napoli despite leading them twice. The Neapolitans came back each time after just a few minutes, and the Romanian missed the chance to beat Antonio Conte for the first time in his coaching career.
What the Italians wrote immediately after Inter Milan – Napoli
“Inter – Napoli, spectacular draw: McTominay blocks Chivu twice“, captioned the Gazzetta dello Sport, the most prestigious daily sports newspaper in Italy.
They wrote about how Chivu experienced the big opportunity missed by Mkhitaryan in extra time.
“McTominay prevented Chivu's Inter from securing a decisive victory with a brace that kept the reigning Italian champions alive. Who wants to win the Scudetto? A legitimate question in a season full of errors, dropped points, regrets and announced escapes. After today's game, the top 3 remain 4 points apart.
Chivu discovers the thrill of scoring for the first time in a derby as Conte leaves the pitch at full speed after being sent off and watches the game from the steps behind the bench.
Dimarco has reasserted his status as the league's most offensive defender, Calhanoglu has come to terms with his past and his spot-kick against the North Bend ultras, and McTominay is once again the undisputed Prince Charming of Partenope (no character from Greek mythology). Who knows how long Chivu will dream of Mkhitaryan's opportunity in extra time“, the Italians wrote.
The Italians gave Cristi Chivu a 6
TMT, another sports website captioned it: “Nobody wins at the Meazza, where Inter and Napoli cancel each other out 2-2“.
They rated Chivu 6 and wrote about him: “No surprises in the squad, his picks go to the top rated players in the squad. A slow start under pressure from Napoli but Inter scored at the first opportunity. This brought it back on the pitch but the half ended 1-1.”
His team started the second half poorly but, just like in the first, took the lead. Calhanoglu's penalty gave the illusion of victory, but McTominay brought them all back to earth soon after.”
