Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Thursday, January 15, 2026, 00:13 / Updated Thursday, January 15, 2026 00:38
Inter struggled against Lecce, who are 17th in Serie A. The only goal of the match was scored by Pio Esposito, brought on after the break. At the end of the game, the Italian journalists noted the courage of the coach to force with several attackers.
Cristi Chivu received 6.5 after Inter Milan – Lecce
The runners from TMT, a well-known Italian sports publication, gave the Romanian a grade of 6.5.
They have written about him before: “Sees a good opportunity to rotate the squad and rest some of the key players, especially captain Lautaro. Perhaps his side underestimated the difficulty of the match, Inter's approach throughout the first half was slow.
He gets better in the second half, and to switch things up, he doesn't hesitate to switch to a 3-4-3 with three strikers.
He reaps the rewards of this brave move, scoring the decisive goal with the youngest of the three, then finishes the match by reverting to a more cautious 3-5-2. Courage is never guaranteed. He deserved the victory.”
After the first 20 matches, Inter is the leader in Serie A, with 46 points, 6 above AC Milan. Chivu's team played one match more than the rival.
Chivu's run after the goal? I saw him later in the crowd of joy, it also happened at the Primavera team that he came to hug me. Our connection is important, even if we don't exchange many words.
We grew up together, he as a coach and I as a footballer at Primavera. First place? It charges us, it can't scare us, that's what we all want. The games are all difficult, and tonight was the proof. It's a difficult road, but we want to stay on it.
I have been waiting for this goal for a long time, hard work always pays off and I am very happy because I have been waiting for it for a long time. I'm still one goal short of the Champions League, but so far so good.
– Pio Esposito, about Cristi Chivu
