Inter President Beppe Marotta confirms the club will buy Manuel Akanji from Manchester City. He stated that Cristian Chivu was the ideal candidate for the team, despite respect for Cesc Fabregas.
Key points
Inter will buy Manuel Akanji from Manchester City.
Cristian Chivu was preferred over Cesc Fabregas.
Inter celebrates their 21st Serie A title.
Marotta is now President after previously being director general.
The last Serie A title was won in 2024.
Mentioned in this story
Beppe MarottaCesc FabregasCristian ChivuManchester City
Manuel AkanjiInter
Marotta: âInter ideal candidate was Chivu, with all due respect for Fabregasâ
Marotta: âInter ideal candidate was Chivu, with all due respect for Fabregasâ
Inter President Beppe Marotta confirms Manuel Akanji will be bought outright from Manchester City and âwith all due respect for Cesc Fabregas, but Cristian Chivu was our ideal candidate.â
The Nerazzurri are celebrating their 21st Serie A title, the first to be achieved with Marotta as President, because he was only the director general when they last lifted the trophy in 2024.
MILAN, ITALY â MAY 03: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates with his teammates after being confirmed as Serie A champions following victory in the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
âThis is a glorious club that is accustomed to winning, so it is important that we won the title three times in five years with three different coaches,â
Q&A
Why did Marotta prefer Cristian Chivu over Cesc Fabregas for Inter?
Marotta indicated that Cristian Chivu was the ideal candidate for Inter, showing a preference for him despite acknowledging Cesc Fabregas.
What is the significance of Inter's 21st Serie A title?
This title marks Inter's 21st Serie A championship and is notable as it is the first achieved under Beppe Marotta as President.
When did Inter last win the Serie A title before this year?
Inter last lifted the Serie A trophy in 2024, when Marotta was the director general.
What are the details of Manuel Akanji's transfer to Inter?
Beppe Marotta confirmed that Inter will buy Manuel Akanji outright from Manchester City.
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âIt means we have created a winning sporting model.â
Why Inter picked Chivu for new era
MILAN, ITALY â MAY 03: FC Internazionale coach Cristian Chivu and Federico Dimarco celebrate after being confirmed as Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Chivu was chosen after Simone Inzaghi asked to walk away just hours after losing the Champions League Final 5-0 to Paris Saint-Germain, as he had already agreed terms with Al-Hilal.
It was reported at the time that they had first approached Como for Fabregas, then turned to Chivu after being told he was not available.
âInzaghi made the decision to try something different, so we asked ourselves which name to propose,â insisted Marotta.
MILAN, ITALY â MAY 03: FC Internazionale fans display a banner featuring Cristian Chivu during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
âWe evaluated Chivu as the person who perfectly fit the profile. A coach is a crucial figure and, with all due respect for Fabregas, Chivu represents the ideal candidate because he knows what it means to play and win with Inter.
âHe already had Serie A experience and took Parma to safety, so this is why we chose him. Itâs true he didnât have a lot of experience coaching, but we wanted to show courage with this choice.
âNow he is a winning coach who can stay at Inter for many years.â
MILAN, ITALY â JANUARY 14: Francesco Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates scoring his teamâs first goal with his Head Coach, Cristian Chivu, during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Before taking the Parma job mid-season, Chivu had been working in the Inter youth academy as a coach, where he got to work with Francesco Pio Esposito.
That proved extremely useful when the youngster impressed at the Club World Cup.
âHe asked us to keep Pio Esposito in the squad, another thing we are proud of.â
Meanwhile, it is confirmed that Akanji will be bought outright from Manchester City, as there was a clause in the loan activating the purchase option in case of the Scudetto victory.
âWhen we negotiated the loan, we did add an option to buy apart from the Scudetto too. We have great respect for him as a player and a man, so he will continue to be in our squad,â concluded the Inter President.