On to the derby, Chivu: "Looking to hit peak condition"

PERTH – Inter's time in Australia continued with the pre-match press conference and training session ahead of Wednesday's Derby against AC Milan, the first of two friendlies on the Nerazzurri's Tour to the country. After facing Manchester City in Hong Kong, Cristian Chivu's side now turn their attention to the Derby before taking on Juventus on Saturday.

Speaking at Perth's Optus Stadium, which will host AC Milan vs Inter on Wednesday 5 August at 19:00 local time (13:00 CEST), Cristian Chivu answered questions from the media.

What are you hoping to see from the team at this stage of pre-season, considering the journey the squad has made across Europe, Asia and now Australia? "I want to see progress, particularly in terms of fitness and physical condition. I'm not focused on the type of match we're playing. I'm pleased that some players will be able to get a few more minutes at this stage of pre-season, while making sure we've recovered from the jet lag and understanding how many risks we can afford to take."

Last season you won the league despite losing both derbies. Would you take the same outcome again? "That's a question for the fans. I'm the coach, and my job is to get my players into the best possible condition for the start of the league season. Tomorrow is a friendly, and trophies won in August don't count for anything."

How will you manage the return of the players who are still on holiday after the World Cup? Do you expect them to be available for the start of the season? "I doubt they'll be ready for the opening league match. We'll see how long it takes to get them back on the pitch, but we don't want to take unnecessary risks. It won't be easy."

Are there any particular areas where you're looking for another step forward from the team? "I talk about principles of play, about how we approach matches and how we manage them, about finding ways to be competitive and dominant while adapting to the strengths of our opponents. This is a group of players who are willing to make sacrifices and learn new things. We want to be competitive and ambitious."

Do you think AC Milan and Juventus will have extra motivation after last season? "Every team starts the season wanting to be competitive, to do something different and improve. Everyone wants to win."

What do you think about the idea, which emerged last season, of staging a Serie A match abroad? "It would be nice, but it wouldn't be easy to organise because it would involve two teams travelling to the other side of the world before having to come back and play more matches soon afterwards. One idea could be to schedule it at the start of the season, a bit like the Tour de France, which begins in another country before returning to France. If it were the opening matchday played abroad, teams could arrive early, perhaps a week in advance, play the first game and then return home before the second round of fixtures. It still wouldn't be easy, but at least it would come at the beginning of the season. Promoting Italian football is important – we all want that – but we need to do something. This could be one way of bringing Italian football to the other side of the world."

How special is the derby? "It's a special match for everyone, but in the end it's still just another game. Inter and Milan are famous all over the world, so it will certainly be a great match to watch."

Will you have the chance to meet the fans here in Perth? "We'll have an open training session before the match against Juventus, so there will be opportunities for the fans to meet the team. We have enormous respect for our supporters, but we also have a very strict schedule, and I want it to be followed as closely as possible."

What are you expecting from the young players who have joined the squad? "I know the players we have available. I hope they look at the path taken by Federico, Pio and Aleksandar. It all depends on them, on the intensity they bring and the level they can reach when playing alongside the senior players, because that's very different from what they experience in youth football."