
Spoelstra: No need to penalize Ball any further
Erik Spoelstra supports no further penalties for LaMelo Ball after flagrant foul.
Cristian Chivu is set to receive a contract extension with Inter Milan, granting him greater influence over transfer decisions after leading the team to a likely Scudetto victory. He has a nine-point lead in Serie A as he approaches the end of his first full season as head coach.
Chivu to be given more say on Inter transfers with new contract after Scudetto
Cristian Chivu is on course to win the Scudetto in his first full season as a head coach, and reports on Wednesday indicate that a contract extension is now close and that the Romanian will be given more of a say on Inter’s transfer decisions moving forwards.
Chivu was given his first senior head coach role with Parma last February, but did enough in his short time in charge to convince Inter into appointing him as the replacement for 2023-24 Scudetto winner and two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Fast forward 10 months later, Chivu and Inter have a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table heading into the final six games of the season and it is now widely expected that the Nerazzurri will go on to claim their 21st league title.
Multiple outlets in Italy indicate that Chivu will be rewarded with a new and improved contract extension at the end of the season, potentially doubling his €2.5m-per-season salary until 2029 or potentially even 2030.
Official: Inter appoint Cristian Chivu as head coach (via www.inter.it)
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chivu will also have more of a say over Inter’s potential recruits on the transfer market moving forwards.
Last summer, Chivu had no say at all in two of the five new signings that the club brought in: Deals for Luis Henrique and Petar Sucic were negotiated by the club long before Chivu was appointed head coach.
Additionally, there were two high-profile players that Chivu attempted to sign last summer, namely former Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, now with Atletico Madrid, and Roma midfielder Manu Kone, but was unsuccessful on both fronts.
ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 29: Manu Kone of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on December 29, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
This time around, however, the club and coach plan to be in complete harmony in their decision making and are aiming to provide Chivu with players with profiles that suit his style of play. They are said to be targeting more physically imposing players, particularly in defence and midfield.
Names that have been linked with Inter ahead of the summer transfer window include Kone again, Atalanta’s Marco Palestra and Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic.
Cristian Chivu's new contract will allow him more influence over Inter Milan's transfer decisions, shaping the team's future roster.
Cristian Chivu has led Inter Milan to a nine-point lead in Serie A, positioning the team for their 21st league title in his first full season.
Cristian Chivu replaced Simone Inzaghi as head coach of Inter Milan ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Erik Spoelstra supports no further penalties for LaMelo Ball after flagrant foul.
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