Cristian Chivu says that he wants his Inter players to go out and have fun during Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia final against Lazio, but insists that winning or losing will not affect what he thinks has been an excellent 2025-26 season for the Nerazzurri.
Chivu on Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final: ‘Don’t be too obsessed, have fun’
Chivu is one game away from claiming a domestic double during his first full season as a head coach. The former Nerazzurri defender took on his first head coach role in senior football with Parma last February and has since led Inter to their 21st Scudetto after replacing Simone Inzaghi at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Encouragingly for the Nerazzurri, they have already had a ‘warm-up game’ against tomorrow’s cup final opponents, Lazio, and beat them 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Saturday.
During his pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, Chivu attempted to play down the fact that his side have already passed the first audition against Lazio.
“They are two different games. There are dangers when you play close matches against the same team. You might think it’s easy to play again like we did on Saturday, but they might find some extra motivation.
“We have to be humble and have the right attitude, be aware of the fact that we deserved the Scudetto and that we have gone all the way in the Coppa Italia, which we want to honour in the best possible way. We’ll definitely be ready.”
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 03: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, celebrates after being confirmed as Serie A champions following victory in the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Chivu went on to address the current status of Marcus Thuram, who is a doubt heading into the final: “(He’s doing) better, he trained with us today. We’ll have another day to evaluate him tomorrow.”
Maurizio Sarri said in his pre-match press conference that his Lazio players will need to focus on their mental approach more than anything heading into tomorrow’s final, but Chivu has urged for calmness among his squad.
“Don’t be too obsessed, we’ve deserved everything so far and we have to have the same calmness that we’ve kept until now. Calm, with a smile on our faces, going onto the pitch with the desire to have fun, without losing the enthusiasm or humility.”
Sarri also said that winning the Coppa Italia trophy doesn’t mean too much to him on a personal level, and Chivu also feels that winning or losing tomorrow night will not change what has been an impressive season for the Nerazzurri.
“It doesn’t change a thing for me. I’m at a club that matches my ambitions, that wants to be competitive. From Lautaro’s first interview in America (in pre-season), I understood what he’s about, although I already had an understanding from previous conversations.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Lautaro Martinez of Inter celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“The strength of this group is its ability to understand and fight for what we stand for. We often forget that this team has made it to multiple European finals and when it hasn’t won the league, it usually comes second. The competitiveness has always been there and that’s what I want.”
And what does Chivu think he has brought to the table during his time with Inter thus far?
“Ambition. I know what it means to be at a team like Inter, the stories that surround it and the negative part that often comes out. I’ve tried to calm that down from a human point of view, and manage the frustration that comes at us from the outside. I’m dealing with a group of great people, real people who show pride and know how to stick together.”
