Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Friday, May 22, 2026, 6:32 p.m. / Updated Friday, May 22, 2026, 6:32 p.m.
Cristi Chivu (45 years old), the coach of Inter Milan, received the award for the best technician of the current season in Serie A.
The announcement was made by the organizers of Serie A. They specified that the trophy will be handed to the Romanian before the Bologna – Inter match, which will be played at the “Renato Dall'Ara” stadium, on Saturday, May 23, from 19:00.
How Cristi Chivu was chosen the best coach in Serie A
According to the official release, the award was decided by a jury made up of directors of sports publications, who evaluated each coach based on technical and sporting criteria, the quality of the game played by their teams, but also the behavior and fair play demonstrated during the matches. For the final calculation, all stages in the championship were taken into account, except for the last round, the 38th.
“Cristian Chivu's season in charge of Inter has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Luigi De Siervo, chief executive of Calcio Serie A, per TMW. “From his first year on the bench of a professional team since the start of the season, Chivu immediately demonstrated the winning DNA he also had as a player.
He led his team to play solid yet attacking football, which resulted in them finishing the season averaging over two goals per game and around 30 goals clear of the second-placed team.
Chivu needed just 48 stints as a Serie A manager to become Italian champions, surpassed only by Mourinho in the era of three points from victory. Adding to the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia win, he became the only technician to achieve this historic double in his first season on the Inter bench. There are figures and records that fully confirm Cristian Chivu's entry among the great coaches in Serie A”, he also pointed out.
Chivu succeeds Antonio Conte, awarded last year after winning the championship with Napoli. The distinction, instituted in the 2021-2022 season, was won each time by Italy's champion coach: Pioli with Milan in the first edition, Spalletti with Napoli in 2022-2023 and Inzaghi with Inter in 2023-2024.
Federico Dimarco, the best footballer in Serie A
Federico Dimarco, the left-back from Inter, was voted the best player of the season. Ahead of the last leg, the champions' left-back contributed to 24 goals – 8 goals and 16 assists.
Federico Dimarco celebrating the title with the number 21 won by Inter. Photo: Getty Images
Lautaro Martinez was also chosen as the best striker of the season.
