“That hurt me. I apologize to them”

Cristi Chivu entered the history of Inter on Wednesday evening. After 2-0 with Lazio, in the Cup final, he became the first technician to do the event in his debut season on the Nerazzurri bench.

The Romanian coach did not hide his satisfaction, but he also named a moment during the season that brought him a lot of bitterness. It happened at the beginning of 2025 – 2026, when things didn't exactly go well.

Cristi Chivu: “I give the whole team a 10”

Inter started spectacularly, 5-0 against Torino, but then two consecutive defeats followed, 1-2 against Udinese and 3-4 against Juventus, and criticism rained down on the Romanian technician, some “below the belt”. And Chivu did not forget them.

“Satisfaction is easy, but I was hurt by what my kids were able to read about me at the beginning of the season. I apologize to them,” said the Nerazzurri coach after the final whistle of the Cup.

Asked to rate the season and the team, Chivu replied: “I give the whole team a 10, with the caveat that there is still room for improvement as the expectations will be higher from now on.”

Cristi Chivu: “I also won at Primavera, no one can take that trophy away from me”

Asked to make a comparison between what it means to be a champion as a player and then also as a coach of the big team, the Romanian coach drew the reporter's attention to the fact that he forgot about the title taken with the youth team of Inter, where he did his apprenticeship.

“I also won at Primavera, no one can take that away from me. I cried at Primavera. It was nice, we had a great group of guys who gave it their all. I reached the final, winning 2-1 against the strongest team in the league and nobody can take that trophy away from me

I'm incredibly happy with the progress I've made in the youth academy. I'm happy for the guys, for what they deserve. We know the expectations that come to a club like Inter, we have to be ready for our ambitions, for what comes next,” Chivu concluded.