MILAN, ITALY – MAY 17: FC Internazionale Milano head coach Cristian Chivu poses for a photo with the Coppa Campioni d’Italia and Coppa Italia trophies after the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Hellas Verona FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Ruzzani/Getty Images)
Inter have officially announced that head coach Cristian Chivu has agreed a new contract extension with the Romanian that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2028.
Chivu’s contract extension comes as the 45-year-old’s first full season as head coach, as a reward for his impressive first season in charge as he led the Nerazzurri to double Serie A and Coppa Italia titles.
Chivu spent the last seven years of his playing career at San Siro, holding coaching roles with Inter’s U14, U17 and U18 teams as well as the Primavera team before taking over Parma in the second half of the 2024-25 season.
Chivu then returned to Inter following the departure of Simone Inzaghi at the end of the 2024-25 season, leading the Nerazzurri to both the Coppa Italia trophy and the Scudetto in the 2025-26 season.
Chivu’s previous contract was set to expire next year, in the summer of 2027.
What Inter said about Chivu’s contract extension
“FC Internazionale Milano is pleased to announce the extension of the contract with coach Cristian Chivu. Thanks to this extension, coach Chivu will remain in charge of the Nerazzurri until 2028.” statement on the club’s website.
“The story of Cristian Chivu is truly unique. It is a story defined by passion and sacrifice, and it is a story of memorable and decisive moments. It is a story steeped in Nerazzurri colors, such as when Chivu was appointed as Inter’s head coach on June 9, 2025, and the club was there at every stage of the manager’s life.”
“Since then, Cristian was on the touchline in 58 games for Inter, in an intense and demanding season that has become more memorable as the days have gone by. The manager won a historic double: Inter’s 21st Scudetto and the club’s 10th Coppa Italia. These victories came from special teams built under the Romanian, who was also named Serie A Manager of the Season for the 2025-26 season.”
“Pride, loyalty and passion for Inter: these are the words with which Chivu introduced himself to the Nerazzurri family at the start of his third stint at Inter. These are the words that guided his day-to-day work with the team and became the mantra with which he laid the foundations for a winning season.”
“Those are also the values he recognized in the players who were the core of a special teams that went on to achieve remarkable success. Kivu always made sure his team recognized its strengths, stepping back to allow them to have their moments to shine, even in the most celebratory moments.”
“This includes when he left the stage with his players at the Coppa Italia ceremony in Rome, and at the Serie A trophy celebrations at San Siro, when he had to encourage the players to lift the trophy with captain Lautaro Martinez. Perhaps the most special recognition of all is the group that considers Chivu a true leader and mentor.”
“He is a coach who can read every moment and is a master at conveying Inter’s passionate values, a tradition long continued by a group that has consistently raised the profile of the Nerazzurri colors over the years.”
“This has been an important part of Inter’s journey, giving the players confidence and allowing them to bounce back after going down, and driving the team forward towards new challenges and new goals, from the Champions League to the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup to the league title.”
“This season the Romanian coach set several records. Chivu won the Scudetto as a manager after winning three league titles as a player. This feat was achieved in Inter’s 1929/30 season in midfield. After winning the Scudetto, something only Armando Castellazzi achieved in 1937/38, while the legendary Virgilio Fossati became the first player and manager in Nerazzurri history to win it.
“That’s not all. Chivu was the first player to win the Serie A in his first season after Arpad Weiss (1929/30), Alfredo Forni (1952/53), Giovanni Invernizzi (1970/71) and Jose Mourinho (2008/09). He is also the fifth Inter manager in history to win the A title. Chivu’s record has now been surpassed, and he is only the second to win the trophy.” In Serie A, both first-team and Primavera sides participate, having previously won with Inter’s youth teams in 2022.
“Invernizzi is the only player beside him to have achieved this, and in addition to the 1971 title, he also won the Primavera in 1964, 1966 and 1969. Chivu thus becomes the first player to win the Scudetto in all three of his ‘lives’ with the Nerazzurri. With the addition of the Coppa Italia, he broke the record books again, becoming the only player in Inter’s history to do so. Winning both competitions in the same season as both a player and a coach.
“Victory and brilliant results are only possible for those who truly know what it means to have a passion for Inter, values that will define the entire season and once again guide Cristian Chivu until 2028.”
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