Inter win Scudetto: How manager Cristian Chivu was able to restore winning mentality after UCL heartbreak

How it started

The project led by Chivu started in the first days of June 2025. After losing to PSG and also losing the chance to lift the Serie A trophy in the last weeks of the season, Inter and their coach, Simone Inzaghi, parted ways. While Inzaghi decided to agree on a $25 million contract per season with Al-Hilal, Inter had to look for their new coach, also considering the imminent start of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. The Nerazzurri tried to sit down with Cesc Fabregas and Como, one of the most talented coaches around Europe, but the club denied any kind of approach from the Serie A giants. This is why Inter decided to immediately approach Chivu, who was a well-known figure at the club where he played from 2007 to 2014 before starting his coaching career in the academies from 2018 to 2024.

When Chivu arrived in Milan, it was a completely different moment for the club. The entire fanbase and squad were left stunned by the season that had just concluded, and the Club World Cup felt less like a chance at redemption and more like an ordeal to endure. Step by step, Chivu had to restore the positive mentality in the team, and some players were tested during the tournament. That summer, despite rumors of a revolution, the club chose to delay major decisions for another year. There was a shared reluctance to let such an exciting cycle end on a note of disappointment, though that same hesitation now suggests significant changes are likely in the coming summer.

What has changed

Under Chivu, many things changed compared to Inzaghi's management. First of all, the approach to rotations during the season were completely new for this team. While Inzaghi's rotations during the week seemed pre-planned, regardless of what was happening on the pitch, Chivu was less strict when it came to substituting players during the game. A clear example of that is the game time of Federico Dimarco, one of the best players on the roster. The Italian winger was barely playing a full game under the previous management, while with the former Parma coach, he became one of the pivotal players again. Dimarco himself spoke earlier this season about his game time difference with the two coaches.

"You can only train for matches by actually playing them, the more you play, the better your fitness gets. What I've been saying over the past few years is that coming off in the 60th minute made it mathematically difficult to improve my physical condition. This year it's going better because I'm playing more minutes," he said.

The same concept can be applied to other players in the roster, such as the strikers. This season, Inter have a stronger attack, with Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram considered as the starters while Yann Bonny and Italian young star Francesco Pio Esposito are ready to play. Both Pio Esposito and Bonny delivered as Chivu considered them a lot when it came to the rotations, also during the games. It may be easier for him than it was under Inzaghi last season, when Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi were not at the same level as the other two strikers. Still, it's clear that Chivu managed the group more effectively. All four were genuine starters, which likely explains why they performed better than they did last season.

Chivu's tactical approach also focused on playing the ball directly into the strikers whenever possible, favoring a more vertical style of possession than in the past. While this wasn't the case in every match, the Nerazzurri tried to attack more directly, making their possession more effective.

Handling drama

Chivu also had to deal with some challenging situations in the dressing room and with some players outside the pitch. In February, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was at the center of a thunderstorm after a controversial decision took place at the end of the first half of the game between Inter and Juventus, when the referee Federico La Penna decided to send off Pierre Kalulu for a second yellow card for a foul on Bastoni. However, after reviewing the footage, it became clear that the contact on the Inter defender's shoulder was far less significant than it initially appeared. Despite that, VAR was unable to intervene. Under the current regulations in place until the end of the season, the video review can only overturn on-field decisions in cases involving red cards. Juventus were forced to play the remaining part of the game with 10 men, leading to their defeat at San Siro. From that moment, it started a campaign of hate against Bastoni that is still happening. Rivals fans whistle him every time Inter play outside San Siro and things got even worse recently, as Bastoni received a red card during the first half of the key playoff final between Italy and Bosnia, later lost by the Azzurri at the penalties, meaning they'd miss a third straight World Cup.

Since then, Bastoni was also rested by Chivu multiple times, and had to handle the pressure on the Italian defender that drastically increased.

Trusting the talent

Dimarco's involvement made him likely the MVP of the 2025-26 Serie A season, but it wasn't just that. Chivu was able to trust players regardless of their age or past game time. The brightest example was the rise of Pio Esposito, one of the best talents of Italian soccer. The 21-year-old striker was already coached by Chivu in the academies, and when he became the new head coach, he immediately included him in the roster that traveled to the United States for the Club World Cup. Whenever he played, he showed he was able to compete and play for Inter. This is why the Nerazzurri's sporting director, Piero Ausilio, immediately stopped any kind of conversation about a possible loan in the Italian Serie A as Chivu wanted Esposito to be part of the roster. With only a handful of matches remaining, Pio Esposito has tallied nine goals and six assists across 45 appearances. Alongside Piotr Zielinski and Petar Sucic, he leads the squad in games played this season across all competitions.

What's next?

Considering how the season started, or better to say how the last one ended, it was a great achievement for the club, the players and the new coach. But things will be different next season, when Inter will be asked to perform better outside Italy, as this season they were eliminated by Bodo/Glimt in the UCL knockout stage playoffs. Chivu will be expected to make more difficult tactical calls, and defending a Scudetto is more demanding than winning it the first time. That said, his start could hardly have been better. Inter's faith in appointing him has already been vindicated, against the doubts that surrounded his arrival just a year ago and setting a strong foundation for what comes next.