Chivu: "We aim at being the best version of ourselves"

PASADENA - The sun over Pasadena is scorching hot. It heats the pitch and welcomes the eve of Monterrey-Inter, scheduled on Tuesday at 6pm (Los Angeles time, whereas in Italy it will be Wednesday 3am).

Inter coach Cristian Chivu answered the questions of the journalists gathered at the conference.

What is the general condition of the team and are the two new signings ready to play? ‘’The team has been working well, we almost have the full squad now: there are still some issues, physical issues, but nothing too serious. The new arrivals: they’ve worked well too, Luis Henrique is a bit behind with his preparation, he’s had some extra days of rest, whereas Sucic has joined from the international duty, you will see them in action’’.

What about the module, will you confirm the 3-5-2? What ideas do you have? ‘’In Italy we’re very much tied to modules, but what counts are the principles of the way we play football. Inter in the last years has relied on this system, with a certain way of distributing players on the pitch that led to great results. We need plenty of mobility, symmetry, we need to confuse the opponent, creating problems for their defence. Principles have always been underpinning this team, we will try to add something extra, it won’t be easy as this requires time’’.

Five days of work: what threats do you expect? "We need to leave the past in the past, this is the end of the 2024/25 season, it’s a competition we want to honour, we need to be the best version of ourselves. We are not looking for alibis, or excuses on the mental and physical condition. We are ready, we’ve tried to put in all the work: we’ve tried to create a certain degree of serenity on both fronts to start off in the best way possible’’.

What about Thuram and Lautaro’s condition? "They’re both in good shape, they’ve spent these last 10 days with their national squad, so we let them rest for a few days. Lautaro started training with us straight away, Marcus had some extra days off as he did get game-time with France. We will see them in action during the tournament’’.

Which players out of Monterrey do you know best? " I know coach Torrent, I have played against Sergio Ramos, I know Canales, Ocampos. In Europe they’ve had a great career, they have their own identity. The team has ambition’’.

Do you see any differences between European and South American football? "European football is more organised, here you have more fun. Finding the right mix between the two would be perfect. The difference is not that big. Lately South American teams – especially Mexico – have tried to attract European players too’’.

What are the secrets to go far in this competition? "We need to think about one game at a time. We need to be humble because in such a big competition we need to worry about going through the group stage. There are no gifts here, especially since the less favourite to win teams come with extra motivation. I think there’s only way to win, which is by being better than your opponent’’.

Are you going to say anything in particular to the players? "The teams need to show the ambition and pride to step on the pitch to do what they’ve been doing in these last years. We won’t be short of motivation, we will approach it as an important competition, ready to do our best’’.