Chivu: Inter ‘must not think about others’ mistakes’
Inter coach Cristian Chivu insists that ‘anything is still possible’ in the race for the title in Serie A: ‘We must not think about others’ mistakes, because they are beyond our control.’
Inter will visit Fiorentina at the Stadio Franchi tomorrow.
They’ll travel to Tuscany without the injured Alessandro Bastoni, who is also in doubt for Italy’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland.
Fiorentina vs. Inter – Chivu’s pre-match press conference
Chivu confirmed at a press conference today that Bastoni would still join the Italy national team for assessment by the Azzurri doctors.
Neither Chivu nor any Inter player spoke to the media last week after a controversial 1-1 draw against Atalanta.
“It was a decision we made together after what happened on the field. I prefer to always talk about football and not focus on things that could create excuses,” Chivu said via FCInter1908.
“We made some mistakes in that match from a technical and tactical standpoint. We’ve asked ourselves what could have been done better. We must not think about others’ mistakes, because they are beyond our control.
“We come from a week of work, we are ready to face tomorrow’s match.”
Napoli beat Cagliari on Friday, moving six points below Inter. The Nerazzurri have a game in hand, but do they feel the pressure from their rivals?
“Football is about pressure. The season is still long, and anything is possible,” Chivu, who will serve a one-game ban tomorrow, replied.
“We are aware of our journey, what we have achieved, and the ambitions of the other teams, who rightly believe they can compete until the end.
“There are 27 points at stake; in a three-point era, anything is possible. We focus on being competitive and on performing as well as we have so far. We must continue to focus on ourselves and give even greater consistency to our ambitions and our journey in the championship.”
Lautaro Martinez will miss tomorrow’s match due to an injury, while Ange-Yoan Bony is dealing with dental issues, and Marcus Thuram has gone over one month without scoring in Serie A.
“He [Thuram] and everyone else can do better, and they are aware of it,” Chivu said.
“They are working every day to reach the team’s level in every way. I have no more advice to give at a time when every match becomes a final; everyone needs to take responsibility to be the best version of themselves.
“A thousand things are happening these days; you can’t mention them all. These are things that happen, and we are here to find solutions. He [Bonny] had a dental problem before the Atalanta match, and also this week. He will definitely fix them next week during the break.
“There’s a bit of everything; during a season, it’s normal to have moments that are less brilliant than usual. You have to look at what has been achieved as well. We see our improvement, and what we need to regain in terms of energy and ambition, without losing sight of the journey and the path. Nobody gives you anything; you have to go out and take everything for yourself.”