Cristian Chivu after Napoli-Inter Milan: “We lost our balance and clarity”

The Inter Milan coach spoke candidly after the 3–1 defeat to Napoli, analyzing his team’s mistakes, mindset, and reaction to controversy

At the final whistle at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu met the press to discuss his team’s performance in the 3–1 defeat to Napoli.

“We came here to play our game, and at times we did,” Chivu said. “We created chances, we played good football, and we made mistakes. Unfortunately, we went into halftime a goal down. In the second half, we tried to turn it around but lost some balance and clarity. We managed to reopen the game, but we couldn’t stay consistent or composed. We wasted energy arguing with their bench—at that moment, the game was over. We couldn’t find the situations that would have allowed us to get back in it after their third goal. We didn’t handle frustration well; on a simple throw-in, we got caught out.”

When asked about the controversial penalty decision, Chivu replied calmly:

“Who can we ask? We’ll wait for an explanation. We can’t make excuses or look for alibis. We have to focus on our own football and on not letting frustration hit us. We need to stay proactive—decisions won’t change, but we can control our attitude, our desire to play, and to bring home results. The rest is just wasted energy.”

“I won’t complain. I want to change the culture of Italian Football”

Chivu also responded to Antonio Conte’s comments, after the Napoli coach claimed Beppe Marotta’s post-match remarks diminished his work.

“The club has the right to do what it believes is right,” Chivu said. “As for me, to stay coherent, I’ll never come here to complain. I have a different way of seeing football, and I’ll keep that approach until the end. I’m not interested in proving how good I am — I know who I am. My goal is to pass on values to my players. I’m trying to change certain attitudes, even if I’m fighting alone. As long as I’m here, I’ll fight to change how football is perceived in Italy. We’re too used to complaining and crying. We need to evolve — and I’ll do my part, no matter what others think.”

On the team’s mental strength, Chivu stressed the importance of consistency:

“We have to keep working and not throw away what we’ve built. It hurts, because this was an important match and we really wanted to win it. But this team has always bounced back. It’s regained fire and confidence — and it will again this time.”

When asked about Acerbi’s performance, Chivu defended his player:

“I didn’t see much difficulty from Acerbi. The real issue was pressing correctly. The long balls to Neres gave us problems. Maybe I’ll see things differently tomorrow, but I didn’t see big trouble. I saw a team that wanted to dominate, that created chances, and started the second half strongly. Unfortunately, we lost our measures and focus.”

And on whether the team lost its calm:

“It’s not about motivation or revenge,” he explained. “We have experienced, quality players who know these kinds of games. We played well at the end of the first half, but in our desire not to lose, we lost our distances and balance. Still, this team always finds itself again — and I’m convinced we will this time too.”

Source: Fcinter1908