Cristian Chivu wants his Inter players to enjoy Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia final against Lazio, but stresses that the outcome won’t affect his view of the team’s excellent 2025-26 season.
Chivu on Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final: ‘Don’t be too obsessed, have fun’
Chivu is on the verge of securing a domestic double in his first full season as head coach. The former Inter defender took on his first senior coaching role with Parma last February and has since guided Inter to their 21st Scudetto after replacing Simone Inzaghi at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Encouragingly for the Nerazzurri, they have already faced Lazio, their cup final opponents, in Serie A and secured a 3-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. During his pre-match press conference, Chivu downplayed the significance of this recent win.
“They are two different games. There are dangers when you play close matches against the same team. You might think it’s easy to play again like we did on Saturday, but they might find some extra motivation. We have to be humble and have the right attitude, be aware of the fact that we deserved the Scudetto and that we have gone all the way in the Coppa Italia, which we want to honour in the best possible way. We’ll definitely be ready.”
Regarding the fitness of Marcus Thuram, who is a doubt for the final, Chivu stated: “(He’s doing) better, he trained with us today. We’ll have another day to evaluate him tomorrow.”
While Lazio’s coach Maurizio Sarri highlighted the importance of a mental approach for his players, Chivu urged for calmness within his squad. “Don’t be too obsessed, we’ve deserved everything so far and we have to have the same calmness that we’ve kept until now. Calm, with a smile on our faces, going onto the pitch with the desire to have fun, without losing the enthusiasm or humility.”
Similar to Sarri’s sentiment about the personal significance of winning the Coppa Italia, Chivu believes the result won’t alter his perspective on Inter’s impressive season. “It doesn’t change a thing for me. I’m at a club that matches my ambitions, that wants to be competitive. From Lautaro’s first interview in America (in pre-season), I understood what he’s about, although I already had an understanding from previous conversations. The strength of this group is its ability to understand and fight for what we stand for. We often forget that this team has made it to multiple European finals and when it hasn’t won the league, it usually comes second. The competitiveness has always been there and that’s what I want.”
When asked about his contribution to Inter, Chivu highlighted ambition. “Ambition. I know what it means to be at a team like Inter, the stories that surround it and the negative part that often comes out. I’ve tried to calm that down from a human point of view, and manage the frustration that comes at us from the outside. I’m dealing with a group of great people, real people who show pride and know how to stick together.”