Article by Daniel Scorpie, Adrian Jitea – Published on Thursday, 14 May 2026, 02:07 / Updated on Thursday, 14 May 2026 02:07
Cristi Chivu's side lifted the Italian Cup trophy, 2-0 victory in the final against Lazio. The Romanian coach spoke about his future plans and received praise from president Giuseppe Marotta.
In his first season on Inter's bench, Cristi Chivu won both internal trophies at stake. A performance that only two coaches in the club's history had managed, Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho. It's just that the two of them needed two years!
Cristi Chivu, after the final won against Lazio
“Inter won two trophies, we deserved them. We had a good season. We are happy with what we have achieved over the years, for our fans and for the club. Another winning streak? We are happy with what we have achieved, winning two trophies is never guaranteed, we are happy about that.
In football, things are planned in the short term. When you think longer term, especially when it comes to results and goals, it becomes agony and obsession for all. We are happy for the mentality shown, for our game and how we worked to achieve our goals,” said Chivu in the Sport Mediaset studio on Channel 5.
Asked if he feels the players care about him, Chivu explained: “I work for them, I give everything for them and for the team. And individually I spend a lot of time to understand what they have to do. To dance, it takes two people, not just the coach.
They understood from the beginning what the goals were. We could have done better in the Champions League, so there is room for improvement. These two trophies make us have a peaceful future, they allow us to approach the next season more calmly. Because it will not be easy to repeat the performances and live up to our expectations and ambitions”.
Regarding the advantage gained by taking over the team before the Club World Championship, Chivu explained: “It was fundamental. I understood the players and the disappointment they endured last season. It's always bad when you don't achieve your ambitions and last years were huge targets.
They tried in every way. When you lose, it puts pressure on you, so I didn't find a mentally prepared team. I tried to give my best, knowing that the ambitions for that trophy were high, but also that we had to start a new season with desire and ambition. It's the attributes that make the difference.”
The helmeted boy has grown up and now laughs with aplomb, following in the footsteps of an old master whose jacket he took off again. Chivu beats Lazio 2-0, wins his 10th Coppa Italia and makes Inter history in a dark jacket and white shoes: the 'double'. The last person to do so was San José in the year of the Triple, in the second year of his journey. Cristian succeeded on the first attempt
– Gazzetta dello Sport
Praised by Marotta and the Italian press
Giuseppe Marotta (69 years old), the president of Inter, spoke in superlative terms about the work done by the coach from Reșita.
I want to emphasize one thing. This is the championship of Chivu and the team. Chivu played a very important role in his first experience with a big team. He has shown that he has quality and that he can improve, and that is our hope for the future. Winning against the provincial teams, who are playing the game of the year against the big teams, is an important aspect
– Giuseppe Marotta
VIDEO SUMMARY. Chivu's side beat Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final
