Chivu: "Proud of this team's courage and character"

“I think penalties come down to luck. What matters is the courage and character to volunteer yourself and say, "I'll take it." That's not something you can train for; the emotions you feel while taking a penalty in a match can't be replicated during training. I am proud of the courage and character these champions showed today. They displayed a great performance, especially in the second half, where we showed skill, intensity, and many of the things I always want to see from my team. My focus now turns to what we need to do, what we need to learn, and how we can grow and improve. That's the job of a coach. In both good times and bad, we always keep going with our heads held high. Mistakes happen; we all make them, and they can happen anywhere. I have no regrets nor any qualms with anyone. We will move past this. After scoring, we struggled under their pressure and struggled to find a way through. At times, we relied on our forwards, but there wasn't enough build-up from the back, and we didn't attack the space as much as we should have. We were much better in the second half. We took control of the game, dominated their half more, kept pressing, and created several chances. Unfortunately, this is just how football is; if you don't take the chances you create, you end up going to penalties, which comes down to luck. This has been our eighth match in 20 days, and Lautaro has played them all. He needs to rest too, because January will see us in a fixture every three days, where it's crucial that we're able to give it our 100% with energy. We can't afford to lose players along the way. The same is true for Akanji and Çalhanoğlu. This isn't a complaint, but it's about managing a squad that has consistently shown they can compete at the highest level in every competition. I have 25 players, including the goalkeepers, who all deserve to play. They are all top-class players who need trust, to feel involved, and to fight for their team. This squad has big ambitions and, in a long season with so many matches, we need everyone. Inter are aware that we need to keep on pushing. When we have defeats like this, it hurts, it affects the morale, but we have to get back up. We have to always keep in mind who we are and what we're working towards. That's how we can grow and become truly great. These players have shown it time and again over the years, stepping outside their comfort zone. I have an incredible team of champions who aren't afraid to take risks. ”