Inter head coach Cristian Chivu, who was part of the legendary “Nerazzurri“ team that won the treble under José Mourinho in 2010, is making a splash at the start of his coaching career. After a short but strong period at Parma, the Romanian took over at “San Siro“ and in his first full season brought the club the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.
In a candid interview for an Italian podcast, Chivu shared his philosophical view on football and fame:
“This is a world that can completely distort the way you see things. There is a danger of putting on a mask that hides your true nature at certain moments. I don't want to do that. If I feel it happening to me, I will just say “enough“. I don't think about what will happen in the future, I want to live the present as it is, without drawing a 5, 10 or 20-year career ahead“, said the specialist.
“I have a year and a half of experience as a coach in Serie A, a little more gray hair, but otherwise nothing has changed in me. I have the same passion and the same ambition. I believe I am the same person“, he added.
As a former top-level footballer, Chivu understands the psychology of the dressing room perfectly:
“I try to show understanding, not to burden the players with unnecessary stress. I have learned to be more stable in my own insecurities. For me, success and failure are two different things, but I treat them in exactly the same way. I don't get euphoric when everything goes well, and I don't collapse when it doesn't“.
The Romanian also commented on the summer selection, where three Englishmen - Jed Spence, Curtis Jones and John Stones - arrived in Milan: “There is nothing that Spence can't do. He has only been with the team for a week. We tried to attract players who fit our philosophy. Jones and Spence adapted extremely quickly. With Stones it is a little different because of the injury, but he is a great person and we are very happy that he is with us“.
Kivu also spoke about the progress of the young Andy Diouf, who has already made his debut for the French national team. The curious thing is that Zinedine Zidane has used him as a left back, at Inter he plays as a right winger, and his natural position is in the center of the field.
“Diouf is curious, he has a huge desire to develop. We spend a lot of time together in video analysis to help him understand how to move without the ball. He is not used to playing defensively, but in terms of diligence and desire to work, I have no complaints about him. The process is long and sometimes you learn much faster from your mistakes. Sometimes he shoots with his weak foot and I like that. He needs to start finding more solutions on the field“, explained the champions' coach.