Chivu: "The team is alive and kicking, eager to bounce back and perform at its best"

The countdown continues to Atlético Madrid vs Inter, Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league phase. Speaking from the Estadio Metropolitano, where the Nerazzurri will play their upcoming European fixture, Cristian Chivu addressed the media on the eve of the match.

What’s the overriding feeling right now? A desire to bounce back? “The beauty of football is that after a defeat you get the chance to respond , to show that sometimes a result doesn’t reflect the performance. In the derby we showed quality, focus and maturity – we were just missing a bit of luck, maybe a touch of composure in front of goal. Tomorrow is another hugely important match: because it’s the Champions League, because we know how tough it is here, and because we want to build on all the good things we’ve shown in these past few months.”

What do you want to see more of at this moment? “There’s always something to add, but I'm an optimist; I look at the positives. I take the maturity, the attitude, the quality, the desire not to concede much, the constant intent to be proactive – our growth in these areas is obvious. Of course something is still missing, because we haven't quite had the results during some of our biggest fixtures, but I’m confident because I see a huge desire to change that trend as well.”

How is Thuram? “He trained today and trained well. Naturally, we need to be careful with players coming back, but he’s had three weeks during which he’s worked properly. He managed 90 minutes against AC Milan and was fully in the game, eager to turn it around. We’ll see tomorrow – we have another day and will assess what to do then.”

Is there an area where you feel you need to make a stronger impact? “Not all defeats are the same. After some matches, we have more to work on than after others. Against AC Milan, we produced a solid performance in terms of focus and organisation and didn’t allow them to play at their best. That gives me something to reflect on, because even in defeat we had a little extra – just not quite enough. We need to raise our level further in our biggest matches, and that’s exactly what we’re working on. The team is alive and motivated, eager to bounce back and perform at its best.”

What idea do you have of Simeone? How do you feel competing with him? “I don’t feel better or worse than other coaches – I feel like a coach, just like them. A person with footballing experience, just like Simeone.”

This is a direct head-to-head in Europe. Can it send a signal? “It’s an important match. We’ve taken 12 points from four games, and in the Champions League you have to earn everything – there are no easy matches. Tomorrow won’t be easy, just as the first four weren’t.”

What do you think of Atlético? “Given their pedigree and what they’ve shown under Simeone, they’re a team with both the drive and the quality to go as far as possible.”

Against AC Milan, Inter played a great game, despite the result. What did you tell the players afterwards to remind them that this is the right direction? “To keep working, because as a coach, I have to find the positives. The team is very mature and understands the quality of the performance we produced against AC Milan. Something was missing to win it, but maybe simply a bit of the luck that we know can make the difference in this game.”

Your thoughts on Simeone? “I’ve always appreciated his career and everything he’s done for football. I faced him as a player when he first started coaching at Catania, and I admired him because I’d always liked him as a footballer, too. As a coach, he imposed his ideas right away, and he’s been at this club for 14 years now, which is no small thing. I greeted him in Libya before the match and we exchanged a few words. He’s more experienced, more seasoned. I hope to build a career as meaningful as his.”