Soccer-Chivu draws on playing days as Inter seal Serie A title


Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v Parma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - May 3, 2026 Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu celebrates with players after winning Serie A REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

May 4 (Reuters) - Inter Milan ⁠coach Cristian Chivu said his own experiences as a player ⁠helped him guide the club to a 21st Serie ‌A title after Sunday’s 2-0 home win over Parma left them with an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

The 45-year-old, appointed in June, spent seven ​seasons at Inter as a player and ⁠was part of Jose Mourinho’s ⁠treble‑winning side in 2010.He took charge after last season’s bitter finish, when ⁠Inter ‌lost the title on the final day before suffering a 5-0 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

"I just try ⁠to be the best version of myself, to ​help these lads ‌who sometimes need the carrot, sometimes the stick," Chivu told ⁠DAZN Italia.

"I ​try to draw on the experience I had in many locker rooms, and try not to repeat the errors I dealt with as a ⁠player.

"I try to be empathetic, understanding, not ​to think about the consensus of critics outside, but only on what those who love me think. I am the coach, I will always ⁠be up for debate and at risk, that’s the job."

Inter have scored 82 goals this season - 30 more than Napoli - reflecting their aggressive approach under Chivu.

"We always wanted to be proactive, then depending ​on the opponents, we had different options, ⁠like two playmakers," the Romanian manager said.

"It’s also about understanding various moments ​of the game."

Inter moved to 82 ‌points with three matches left, 12 clear ​of second‑placed Napoli. They travel to Lazio on Saturday.

(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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