Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu addressed the press ahead of tomorrow night’s match against Atletico Madrid.
In his pre-match press conference with FCInterNews, the 45-year-old commented on recent comparisons between himself and Diego Simeone.
Cristian Chivu replaced Simone Inzaghi in the Nerazzurri dugout in June after Cesc Fabregas rejected Inter’s approach.
Despite coaching Parma for just a few months in the top flight, the Romanian tactician gained valuable experience.
In fact, after a lackluster performance at the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, this season has started in earnest.
Inter suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to AC Milan on Sunday, dropping them to fourth place in Serie A, but remain among the Scudetto contenders.
In addition, the San Siro Giants became stronger and stronger in the Champions League.
With four wins in as many games in the league phase, they are on the brink of automatically qualifying for the last 16 for the second year in a row.
Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu is not interested in comparisons with Diego Simeone ahead of match against Atletico Madrid
“Out of habit, I look at the glass as half full,” Chivu said. “So if we need to analyze what defeat means, we should talk about it a little bit more, but I think it’s about quality, attitude and desire.
“And I can say that our growth in these aspects is clear.
“Apart from Roma, we have gained almost nothing from head-to-head matches, so we are missing something, but I am confident.
“For me, all defeats are not the same because we have always had a positive attitude.
“In our other defeats, like against Turin, Roma and Napoli, we conceded a little more goals than against Milan.
“Against Milan, we were solid and we didn’t give them the chance to express their best, which makes me think.
“It’s not a loss like the others, it’s still a loss but we added something.
“That was not enough. We need to add more so that we can break this taboo in a head-to-head confrontation.
“But we are working well, the team is alive and wants to return to a high level.”
Meanwhile, Coach Chivu also revealed what he told his players after Sunday’s Milan derby.
“It’s to keep working,” he insisted. “Alessandro (Bastoni) said after the match that it would be better to lose 3-0 than to be overwhelmed and lose 1-0.
“I don’t know if he’s right or not, because as a coach I have to look at the positives and think about managing frustration.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t perform well against Milan.
“Maybe we needed a little more luck. We never talk about it, but that’s important in this match.”
Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu predicts a tough match against Atletico Madrid
Asked if he thought he was better than Diego Simeone, Chivu said: “I’m not better or worse than him.
“He’s been here for 14 years, but I don’t feel inferior or superior.”
However, the former defender expects Atletico Madrid to test Inter’s European capabilities.
“This is an important Champions League match,” he continued. “Some people say we’ve had easy games so far.
“But there are never easy games in the Champions League.
“We have to get points and take them home. Tomorrow it won’t be easy, as it hasn’t been in the previous games.”
Furthermore, Chivu also considers Los Rojiblancos to be a strong contender for the Champions League.
“It’s because of their prestige,” he said. “I think they have an obligation to go all the way, given what they have shown in the last few years and what Simeone did in the Champions League.”
Chivu also commented on Simeone’s infamous defensive approach.
“Now I’m thinking if I’ve played against him before, but I don’t remember. But I thought highly of his entire career, both in Italy and Argentina.
“I played against him as a player when he was at Catania, when he was just starting out as a coach.
“He has always expressed his ideas. He has been here 14 years and that is no easy feat.
“I played against him in a friendly match, and we even greeted him before the match.
“He said some kind words and we exchanged some thoughts. He has more experience. My hair is still black, but not as long.”
“I want to have a great career like him.”
Cristian Chivu talks about Marcus Thuram
Finally, Chivu provided an update on the fitness of Marcus Thuram, who returned to the starting lineup against Milan for the first time since September.
However, the French striker could hand over his attacking spot to Ange-Yohan Bony or Francesco Pio Esposito tomorrow.
In fact, Chivu may decide to keep the 28-year-old on the bench as a precautionary measure given the long period he will be out.
“Today he trained very well and brought intensity,” admitted Chivu. “We obviously need to be careful.
“But he had three weeks and he did a good job.
“Against Milan, he played well for 90 minutes, except for the last five minutes when he was a bit lacking physically.
“But mentally he was always in the game. We’ll evaluate tomorrow.”
