Inter coach Cristian Chivu admitted that South American teams are in better physical shape than European teams at the Club World Cup in the United States, sportal.bg reported.
At his press conference before the clash with River Plate, the young specialist also showered praise on rival talent Franco Mastantuono, who will join Real Madrid after the tournament.
“We expect a tough match like the previous two. These teams have ambitions and want to show their worth, always making life difficult for you on the pitch. The physical condition of the American teams is better than that of the European ones, since the teams from our continent had a lot of matches during the season. It's never easy, but we accept this challenge and try to find the best psychological and physical energy. We can't complain about the pitch, we're used to it. The one in Los Angeles wasn't the best either. However, we always adapt to what we find. However, I have to admit that all the training grounds we've been to are excellent. The stadium in Seattle is for American football, so it's not like the European pitches, but it's not bad.
We have great respect for Marcelo Gallardo, who is great. He was an exemplary player and he's also very good as a coach. He achieved great results with River Plate. It's a good team that has players with experience in European football. They also have world champions, as well as Mastantuono, who we'll have to watch in Europe. River Plate is part of the history of South American football and we admire this club. Mastantuono was born in 2007 and he has already played so many games. I like watching him play. Maybe he reminds me a bit of Angel Di Maria because of his left foot. He is good and will bring joy to football in the future. It won't be easy for him at Real Madrid, but I don't think he will disappoint," commented Chivu.