Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Monday, March 23, 2026, 5:43 p.m. / Updated Monday, March 23, 2026, 5:45 p.m.
Inter cut their lead at the top of Serie A after the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina to six points ahead of Milan and seven ahead of Napoli, but the Nerazzurri's management is not panicking ahead of the last eight legs. President Beppe Marotta told the Romanian coach: “I remain optimistic, because the team is strong and the players are true professionals. We will find the way we temporarily lost.”
With Cristi Chivu sent to the stands by the suspension received due to the elimination from the game with Atalanta, Inter extended its negative streak in the championship to three stages. The tie at the “Artemio Franchi” and, above all, the poor performance of the Nerazzurri raises some question marks about winning the title, which AC Milan and Napoli have started to hope for.
Criticized in the Italian media, the Romanian coach is defended by Beppe Marotta, who came out today with statements about his future at the “Giuseppe Meazza” team, on the occasion of a meeting of Serie A clubs, in which the head of the Italian Arbitration Commission, Gianluca Rocchi, was supposed to take part.
“We are in a difficult moment, but it is not a psychodrama. We deserve to be in first place with a six-point advantage and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. It is true that we are struggling, but we are in a slump due to fatigue or injury, just like everyone else. We will fight calmly until the end”, said Inter's president.
President Beppe Marotta would soon discuss with coach Cristi Chivu the extension of the contract valid until 2027
“We must be stronger even than our errors!”
Marotta backs Chivu: “He will meet with his staff for analysis. He is the leader of our group. We should not sleep on one ear, but not the other way around. Maybe it's easier to play the hunter and the hare now.
I remain optimistic, because our team is strong and the players are true professionals. We will find the way we temporarily lost. So, don't worry.”
The head of Inter gave details of the meeting: “I heard and read a lot of opinions of technical experts, referees and analysts, who said that Pongracic's handball deserved a penalty. But I don't want to make excuses, we simply ask for uniformity in decisions, a protocol used constantly, without subjective interpretations.
In a championship, there are always complaints and I don't want to do that. I'm just saying there shouldn't be anything opaque. At the end of the season, favors and wrongs are about equal. We must be stronger even than our mistakes.”
