Inter Milan coach Christian Chib has confirmed that he will not drop Jan Somer from the initial lineup in future conflicts.
At a pre-match meeting via Fcinternews, 44-year-old Lautaro Martinez confirmed that he could start tomorrow’s match.
Nerazzurri will begin their first Champions League season against Ajax under Chib in Amsterdam.
Plus, it looks like a great opportunity for the San Siro Giants to bounce back from their defeat at Juventus last weekend.
Despite leading 3-2 in the final 10 minutes, Inter finished on the receiver of the 4-3 scoreline.
As a result, they endured the worst Serie start in 14 years, increasing pressure on Romanian coaches.
But Christian Chibb hopes his team will return to how they win on Wednesday.
It’s not about walking around the park, but Italian heavyweights are favourites and will be in the minutes.
Intel Milan’s Boschristian Chib confirms that Yang Somer starts vs ajax
Asked if he was considering dropping Yang Somer from the starting lineup, Chive replied. “I have never talked about it.
“And I don’t think it’s right to throw stones at Somer. He’s an important player. He doesn’t think it’s fair last year from a human perspective.
“I have great respect for Pepo Martinez, and everyone knows he has his chance.
“But today, I don’t want to change Sommer just because the fans want it.
“It’s not the opposite, it’s because difficult players need to be helped. His experience shows him what he can give to his team.”
Meanwhile, he also admitted that Lautaro Martinez might be ready for the game.
“Today he didn’t train because of a small problem. We’ll see how tomorrow feels,” Chivu said.
The familiar ground
Chivu spent four years at Ajax before moving to Serie A in 2003 to join Roma.
Additionally, the former defender has memories of his stint in Amsterdam.
Despite his memorable spells in the Dutch capital, Chib prefers to think about the present.
“I would rather talk about Champions League games. For me, this team was strong and they showed it in Turin.
“Looking at the results alone, criticism is easy. It’s a habit and normal in Italy, especially in Derbida Italy.
“But we need to see positives and good things, like attempts to control the game, based on the match between Torino and Udinese.
“For me, this team is very close to finding continuity with all the good things we want to do, and we need a little more to motivate our hard-working group.
“It’s a matter of outcome, not performance.
“We want to focus on tomorrow – if we look too far, we go too far.
“Ajax is a strong team, with young, mixing experience and youth, technical quality, well coached and speed.
“You have to be prepared for a match like this because your first game in the Champions League is always important.
“The cultures are different. It’s not easy to change that in Italy, but the way you train in Italy is great.
“I’m trying to create the perfect blend between the Italian and Dutch approaches.”
Deciding to leave Ajax
He then explained why he left Amsterdam over 20 years ago.
“No, it was my decision for my career.
“I said I lived here for four years. I came as a boy and left as a grown man. I always tried to do my best for this club and this country.
“Ajax is always in my heart and in my heart.
“Ajax has previously given us the foundation of being a player and a person. I would like to thank this country from a human perspective.”
Relationship with Heitinga & Koeman
Chivu also shared the dressing room with current Ajax manager John Heitinga.
“I have good memories of him,” Chive confirmed. “And I met him again last year, we talked, it was a friendly meeting.
“I remember him being 17. I had more experience than him, so I tried to help him.
“As his captain, I tried to help him improve, and he also proved himself by playing for the national team.”
Finally, he hasn’t heard from legendary Dutch coach Ronald Kayman.
“I haven’t heard of him in a while, but I know the quality this Ajax side has,” Chivu said.
“I know the project, what the clubs are trying to do in recent years, their ambitions, and how they approach teams like Inter.
“I’ve heard before that people talk about Ajax as underdogs, and that’s a great international club.
“They haven’t been at their best in recent years, but under 10 hugs, for example, they approached the Champions League final and reached the Europa League final.
“They shouldn’t play victims. They know how difficult it is to play for this club. They know what Ajax can bring to the field.
“It’s going to be a tough match, we have to be prepared mentally and physically.
“This is the first match in the Champions League and we’re playing at this stadium.”
