Christian Chivu refused to take all the credit for the strong performances of Marcus Thuram, who has emerged as one of Inter's leading figures in recent weeks. The striker scored again in the 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Sunday, and the Nerazzurri coach with a smile, he noted that Zinedine Zidane may have also helped his rise, after Thuram was not included in his first-team squad for the French national team.
Thuram scored the equalizer in the 91st minute against Fiorentina, before Piotr Zielinski's penalty eight minutes into added time gave Inter the three points. The Frenchman now has five Serie A goals this season, all of which have come in his last six appearances. Since the start of September, he has failed to score only in the 2-2 draw with Roma.
“I don't know if it's mine or Zidane's. Without Lautaro Martinez, he took responsibility,“ said Chivu after the dramatic turnaround against Fiorentina. The coach added that he had worked with the striker for three weeks, during which the player also had time to rest.
„He was sprinting even in the 90th minute and was invading the penalty area with devastating force. When he attacks you with such speed, there is always a risk that something will happen. We are happy for him and we gave him a day off. The fact that he was not called up to the national team gave him additional motivation“, explained the Inter coach.
Thuram's strong form has helped the Milan team collect 22 points from their first eight matches in the championship. On Wednesday, Inter visit Venezia, who are in last place with just three points and seven losses from eight matches. With another success, the “Nerazzurri“ will reach 25 points after nine rounds – the best start in its history in the three-point-for-a-win era that began in the 1994/95 season.