Inter coach Cristian Chivu expects a tough home match against Bruges in the second round of the Champions League. The match is on October 13 at the “San Siro“, and the match starts at 21:00 Bulgarian time.
Inter started their European campaign with a defeat to Real Madrid and need strong results in the remaining seven matches to fight to advance. “We realize that we have seven more matches in the Champions League and we need to achieve maximum results to qualify for the next round“, Chivu told Sky Sport, quoted by the ANSA agency.
The Romanian specialist defined the Belgian opponent as a team with a clear identity and a proactive approach. “Club Brugge is a team that has a clear style, they are proactive. It will not be easy, in the Champions League it never is“, said the coach.
Chivu was also cautious on the subject of Inter's ambitions in the tournament. According to him, the club has the obligation to strive for the biggest goals, but the dream of winning the trophy must be supported by daily work.
“It is right to say that Inter has the ambition to go as far as possible and we dream that this will be until the end.“The coach added that talk of winning the Champions League should not become a feeling of givenness. “There is no recipe for winning, but daily work. There is no money that can guarantee that you will win. You have to have the courage to dream of the biggest trophies, but the most important thing is how you work to make that dream come true“, said Chivu.
Chivu confirmed that he will make changes to the squad for the match against Parma. Hakan Calhanoglu has recovered and is available after questions arose about his use of ice after the last match.
Emil Spence is not yet ready for full training. The player has only had one week of training and 25 minutes of playing time, but according to Chivu, his condition is gradually improving.
The coach also paid special attention to Alessandro Bastoni, who returned from his commitments with the Italian national team. “We all know the importance of Alessandro Bastoni, how important he is. Sometimes we forget that we have to take care of the players. "Ale is a real asset for Inter and Italy," said Kivu.