“That's what Chivu asked of us and he was adamant!”

Inter's double triumph, in the championship and in the Italian Cup, after a 2024-2025 season that ended in disaster, is undoubtedly a surprise. Especially since it was made by the Nerazzurri under the command of a coach, Cristi Chivu, who he had only 13 matches in Serie A last summer when he took over the team.

Denzel Dumfries: “We were solely focused on the immediate challenge”

How was it possible, midfielder Denzel Dumfries explained in an interview with B/R Football. “We were solely focused on the immediate challenge. Among other things, Chivu was insistent, even inflexible, in asking us to ignore our rivals' results and focus only on what we had to do until the last second. A mentality that proved decisive”the Dutch international revealed.

Dumfries called the 5-2 victory over AS Roma as “the turning point, the moment when we all understood that we could win the title. Then, at Giuseppe Meazza, we showed extraordinary solidity. Serie A has a reputation for being a very strategic championship, where no detail is left to chance and the preparation of the opponents is obsessive.. Although it is not the most physical or frenetic championship of all time, it requires psychological pressure and a focus on the smallest details which I find unique”.

Hakan Calhanoglu: “Chivu knows how to talk to the players”

Dumfries team-mate Hakan Calhanoglu also referred to an aspect that has been hugely important in the economy of this successful season. “Chivu knows how to talk to the players. He always told us to believe, not to give up, and we had the mentality to come back.

When he arrived at Inter, he offered us something differentbecause he had been a player himself and knew our language, that of those on the field. Communication is very important, and he always knew how to choose the right speech”, explained the Turkish international.

Current standings in Serie A