Inter Milan increasingly reshaped by Chivu’s vision

Intensity, vertical play and youth: the new Inter Milan identity

Cristian Chivu’s influence is no longer subtle. Week after week, Inter Milan are starting to resemble the team the coach had in mind from day one of his Nerazzurri journey: quicker, more vertical, more aggressive. A side that now expresses those traits consistently, regardless of the competition.

As highlighted by Tuttosport via Fcinter1908, “more intense, more vertical”. With each passing match, Inter Milan look closer to Chivu’s original blueprint. And the calendar offers no respite. 

Juventus loom just before the Champions League playoff against Bodo/Glimt, followed in March by the derby squeezed between the Coppa Italia semi-finals and potential European round-of-16 ties. A demanding scenario, but one that does not worry Chivu.

Squad management and intensity define Inter Milan’s evolution

This confidence rests on solid foundations. One key element is squad management, with Pio Esposito standing as a clear manifesto of Chivu’s philosophy. 

Even in the Coppa Italia win against Torino, the coach showed that young players can be trusted without compromising performance. In previous seasons, players like Kamate and Cocchi would have struggled to find similar space.

At the same time, Inter Milan look physically sharper than ever. Federico Dimarco is the most striking example, able to sprint relentlessly for 90 minutes without visible fatigue. While every season brings inevitable cycles, the team have yet to suffer any real drop in performance. 

The return of Stefano Rapetti, the athletic trainer from the historic Treble-winning season, now working alongside Chivu since June, has clearly helped keep the engine running at full throttle.

European lessons and Chivu’s solution for Inter Milan

There is also a broader necessity shaped by Europe. Arsenal, the side that impressed Chivu most on the continental stage, exposed a harsh reality. 

Outside Italy, especially in the Premier League, top clubs operate at double speed, play every three days and rotate their entire squads.

Arteta’s Arsenal will contest their first seasonal trophy at the end of March in the EFL Cup final against Manchester City, having relied heavily on squad players. 

Those second units are more expensive and stronger than their Serie A counterparts. The economic gap cannot be closed quickly, and certainly not by coaches alone.

The only viable response, as Chivu believes, is to match intensity without burning out. Inter Milan have done this in recent years by building a cohesive, finely tuned collective, even if not a deep one. 

At the highest level, such as in Munich, the difference still shows. Raising the intensity, sustainably, remains Chivu’s recipe to narrow that gap and push Inter Milan closer to the ultimate goal.