Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Monday, November 10, 2025, 7:12 p.m. / Updated Monday, November 10, 2025, 7:12 p.m.
Lautaro Martinez (28), who scored the decisive goal in Inter Milan's 1-0 win over Lazio, was asked at the end of the game about the moment that went viral when Cristi Chivu (45) publicly advised him to “smile more”.
The Argentine admitted that he did not change his attitude after that message, but spoke about the importance of the win and the team.
Lautaro Martinez, honest after the match: “I'm the same”
Lautaro's goal came in the first half and Inter managed to keep the lead until the end. After the match, the captain of the Nerazzurri spoke to DAZN:
“Yes, I wanted to shoot at the goal. It's true that I took a long step, but the important thing is that it brought us the victory.”
Asked afterwards about Chivu's advice to smile more often, Lautaro replied with a small smile:
“I'm the same. When I have to smile, I smile. It's just who I am…”
The viral moment offered by Cristi Chivu before the match with Kairat Almaty
Before the Champions League duel with Kairat Almaty, Cristi Chivu was asked by journalists about the state of mind of Lautaro Martinez. His response went viral:
The Romanian made a funny gesture, forcing a smile with his fingers and explaining the advice offered to his captain:
“Sometimes the weight of responsibility clouds his thoughts. I told him to smile more, he knows who he is, how hard he works and what he means to us.”
Impressive figures for Lautaro at Inter
Transferred to Inter in 2018, Lautaro Martinez is valued at 85 million euros, during which he managed to score 161 goals and provide 52 decisive assists in 349 official matches for the Nerazzurri.
In the current season, the Argentine forward has scored 10 goals in 18 games.
Cristi Chivu, an excellent start on Inter's bench
Since he was installed as head coach on the bench of the Italians, Cristi Chivu has already collected 19 games at the helm of the team, having 14 wins, but also an excellent average of 2.26 points per game.
