Cristian Chivu has etched his name in Inter Milan history. The Romanian coach, once dubbed Mourinho’s “child,” has delivered the Serie A title in his debut season, joining an elite group of just five managers to win the Scudetto in their first campaign at the helm. He follows in the footsteps of Árpád Weisz (1929-30), Alfredo Foni (1952-53), Giovanni Invernizzi (1970-71), and José Mourinho (2008-09).
“I’m delighted he won the Scudetto. When I coached him, I never thought he’d become a manager. He didn’t seem destined for the role, but he was intelligent, he studied, and he forged his own path. It wasn’t by chance,” said ‘The Special One,’ who had the Romanian under his command during the treble-winning 2009-10 season.
The journey, however, was far from easy. Chivu inherited a team from Simone Inzaghi that was emotionally shattered. Within a month, they had bid farewell to Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League final. To make matters worse, during the Club World Cup, already with Chivu on the bench, Inter were eliminated by Fluminense (0-2).
“After a few matches, I was supposed to be sacked,” Chivu recalled. But now, with the Scudetto under his arm, he proudly declared: “The credit goes to these players. They had to endure the narrative of last year, the disappointment, the taunts from those who always try to denigrate this team. The boys did well to roll up their sleeves, to be reborn, and to find the necessary motivation to write an important page in the history of this glorious club.”
While Chivu highlights the players, club president Giuseppe Marotta points to the bench. “On Monday we parted ways with Inzaghi, and on Tuesday we chose Chivu. It was a bold gamble. The only thing he lacked was experience. He was part of the treble-winning team, captained Ajax at 21, and won the Scudetto with Inter’s reserve team.”
“He has extraordinary qualities and must stay at Inter for many years. Even in the early defeats this season, the performance was always good. The team was very united, and the coach was their leader,” insisted Marotta.
Walter Zenga, an Inter legend, told Sky Sports: “Chivu is the synthesis of three great coaches: Mourinho for his unifying style, Ranieri for his external communication, and Spalletti for his handling in certain game situations.”
Only Armando Castellazzi (1937-38) had previously won the league with Inter as both player and coach. Now, the Romanian aims to match another Mourinho record: in his first season, the Portuguese won the double (Serie A and Coppa Italia). “It’s right that the boys enjoy the celebration and the fans’ affection. I even went to the locker room to have a cigarette. But I don’t want to be a hypocrite: I’m already thinking about the Coppa final,” Chivu admitted. Lazio awaits on May 12 at the Stadio Olimpico.