Shortly after the debacle against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, it became clear that Simone Inzaghi would be leaving Inter. Over his four-year tenure, he brought the Milan club one league title, two Champions League finals, two Coppa Italia trophies, and three Supercups. In the most recent season, he had three trophies within reach—but ended up with nothing. Thus, the separation was expected. Inzaghi continued his coaching career at Al Hilal, had today, he is officially replaced at Inter by Cristian Chivu. The former Romanian international is taking charge of the Nerazzurri for the third time: he wore the Inter shirt for seven years as a player (2007–2014), then spent six years coaching in the youth system (2018–2024), and after a brief spell at Parma—where he saved the club from relegation—he returns to Milan.• Player• Manager U14• Manager U17• Manager U18• Manager Primavera• Manager First TeamCristian Chivu is Interista THROUGH AND THROUGH. 🖤💙 pic.twitter.com/XvEGKQVvy3— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) June 9, 2025 Cristian Chivu may one day become a great coach, but he is not one today—just as Luis Enrique wasn’t when he joined Roma 15 years ago. In fact, Chivu doesn’t show nearly the same coaching potential as Cesc Fàbregas. There’s little doubt that the Catalan will soon be one of Europe’s top managers, while the Romanian’s future remains wide open. To understand Chivu’s standing on the Italian football stage, the example of Roma is enough. A few weeks ago, his name was floated as a candidate for Roma’s bench. Roman journalists and former players who follow the club almost unanimously rejected the idea, calling it a step backward or a move into uncertainty. The question arises: if Chivu—also a former Roma player—isn’t considered good enough for Roma, how could he be good enough for Inter?##EDITORS_CHOICE##Roma signed Gian Piero Gasperini on a three-year deal worth five million euros per season plus bonuses, while Chivu signed a two-year deal with Inter for a fixed 2.5 million. So, Gasperini is not only earning twice as much, which is justified by his career achievements, but also receives a longer contract. This clearly shows Roma’s strong belief in Gasperini, while Inter’s short-term deal reflects a lack of confidence in Chivu, making it easy to replace him without much fuss. President Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio have proven that no one is flawless or perfect. They made a huge, almost rookie mistake: they didn’t have a Plan B in place after Inzaghi’s departure. Big clubs and top executives simply don’t make such cardinal errors. The last-minute attempt to bring in Fabregas proved counterproductive, and turning to Chivu only confirmed their lack of preparation and that they were caught off guard.One ex Gunner rejected Inter, the other might say ‘yes’Let’s recall that Chivu takes over as Inter’s head coach with only 13 Serie A matches under his belt with Parma: three wins, seven draws, and three losses. Before that, he coached Inter’s youth team with some success—he even won the youth Scudetto—but that’s a completely different world from Serie A. Chivu, as a member of the generation that won the treble with Inter, will have some credit among the fans. However, if the World Cup goes badly for Inter players and the new season starts poorly, you can be sure that by October, the calls for his dismissal will begin.##NAJAVA_MECA_8967326##All in all, tough times are ahead for Inter. Napoli now has Conte on the bench, Milan has Allegri, Roma has Gasperini, Lazio has Sarri, and the Nerazzurri are arguably below even Juventus, who opted for the average and contentious Igor Tudor. Napoli will have a much stronger squad next season. Milan and Lazio will only play in the league, which suits Allegri and Sarri perfectly. Roma, under Gasperini, has big plans and a primary goal of returning to the Champions League after eight years. So, Inter and Juve are more likely to be fighting for a single Champions League spot than for the Scudetto.
