Inter Milan, under the management of Cristi Chivu, fell to a 3-4 defeat at home against Club Brugge in their second match of the Champions League group stage. This loss marks the Italian champions’ second defeat in this competition, following a 1-2 setback against Real Madrid.
The result has drawn harsh criticism from the Italian press, which has called into question Chivu’s coaching abilities, particularly highlighting significant defensive issues and lack of balance in the team.
Following this defeat, Inter now sits at 28th in the Champions League standings, outside of the qualifying positions for the knockout stages. Italian journalists did not hold back their criticism, assigning Chivu scores between 4 and 5.
Chivu’s Ratings and Press Reactions Following the Inter – Club Brugge Match: “Disaster!”
The harshest evaluation came from FCInter1908.it, which rated Chivu a 4, labeling the team’s performance a disaster, noting their inability to prevent Brugge from creating numerous scoring opportunities.
“A disaster. The team plays with no balance, and by the end, Brugge looks like they are in an amusement park. This is not European football. In two matches, Inter has allowed opponents to create nearly 20 goal opportunities. This won’t lead to success,” wrote the reporters from FCInter1908.it.
Tuttomercatoweb shared a similarly critical view of Chivu’s decisions, granting him a score of 5 and emphasizing that fielding the best available squad did not yield the desired results. They also suggested a goalkeeper change.
“He sent out all the starters, but that choice backfired. He was decisively outmaneuvered by his counterpart, who led Brugge to a true feast.
With two matches and zero points, the path in the Champions League is becoming complicated, and he must find a solution. Doesn’t Provedel deserve a chance? He needs to consider this now,” noted Tuttomercatoweb.
FCInterNews on Cristi Chivu: “A Nightmare Evening”
The publication FCInterNews.it also rated Chivu a 5, emphasizing the fragility of the defense, which conceded four goals to the Belgian side.
The journalists reminded readers of Inter’s recent poor performances in the Champions League, asserting that the match against Brugge exposed critical issues in the team’s organization.
“A nightmare evening. The eighth defeat in the last nine Champions League matches, invoking unpleasant memories of Bodo/Glimt. Inter granted Club Brugge freedom, and the Belgians had the boldness to take advantage of it.
The decisive moment came when Lautaro missed a chance at 1-1. From that point, a festival of defensive errors commenced, unraveling like butter. Never before has the team’s balance collapsed so dramatically.
Too many players disappointed. Substituting Thuram turned out to be an uninspired decision. The fight for a top-eight spot is now exceedingly complicated,” the Italian journalists wrote.
Eurosport Italia and Leggo Rate Chivu a 5: “Players Underestimate Opponents”
Eurosport Italia noted Inter’s ability to respond after conceding goals but criticized Chivu’s team for frequently needing to recover from deficits.
Journalists expressed that the Romanian coach failed to convey the right message in the locker room, resulting in his players underestimating their opponents during the match against Brugge.
This is not the best season start for his Inter, although we have seen the team come back multiple times after conceding goals. The reaction to such setbacks is a positive aspect, but it should not become a habit. Clearly, he is not conveying the right message in the locker room, as his players underestimate the opponent and collapse in the second half. Chivu, score: 5. – Eurosport Italia
Leggo.it echoed this sentiment, also assigning Chivu a score of 5. They highlighted that the coach abandoned the rotation used in the league and relied on his best players, yet this strategy also failed to prevent a second European defeat.
He selected the strongest lineup for his home Champions League debut. After the rotation seen in the league, he sent all starters onto the pitch, but suffered a second consecutive loss in Europe, complicating qualification plans for the knockout stages. – Leggo.it
Champions League Group Standings
