Inter coach delivers blow to Barcelona over Lautaro: he will stay with us for a long time
Inter begin their new Serie A campaign when they host Monza at the San Siro, in a match broadcast on stc tomorrow, Saturday.
Chivu said, in the pre-match press conference: "We start from zero, aware that we are the team to beat. No one will give us anything for free, so we will try to be competitive and chase our ambitions to the end."
He added, as published by "Football Italia": "In recent years, this team has proved its ability to maintain its level, so we need to keep this level and add more as well. With determination, hunger and humility, and with the margin for development that we have, I believe we are capable of doing a great job."
Chivu: we fear no one
Asked which team Inter fears, whether on the Italian or European stage, the Romanian coach gave a decisive answer.
He said: "No one. We all start from zero, and we cannot be satisfied with what we have achieved. We must find new motivations to continue developing. I do not think much has changed in a single year."
He continued: "We were not finished at that time, and now we are not guaranteed to dominate. Every season carries periods of ups and downs, and what matters is how you react."
Barcelona and Lautaro: Chivu settles his position
Reports in Spain, Argentina and Italy have mounted lately over Barcelona's desire to sign Lautaro Martinez, after the Catalan club's efforts to land Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid became complicated.
Chivu addressed the news, saying: "There are always stories and news at this time of year. We are happy to talk about our players, because it means they are regarded as being among the best in the world."
He added: "Lautaro is our captain. He won the World Cup in 2022, and was in the final a few weeks ago. He is a great player, and we hold on to him firmly because he represents what we were and what we want to be in the future."
Pressed on whether he and Inter have guarantees that Barcelona will not tempt Lautaro away, the coach replied: "I fear nothing. Lauti is the captain, and perhaps there will be a lot of talk about him, but I believe he will stay for a long time, because he is a player we want to build the future with."
He concluded: "I also know that the transfer market can be a little difficult, so the only answer I can give is that I want him to stay."
Chivu welcomes Inter Milan's signings
The summer window brought plenty of movement at Inter, including the departure of Denzel Dumfries. The club replaced him by signing Dedryck Spence from Tottenham, after several other deals stalled.
Several arrivals from the English Premier League also joined the team, among them John Stones and Curtis Jones.
Chivu said: "Our duty is to develop and continue preparing for the future. I will not deny that I spoke with Jones before his arrival, and I am happy to have him with us, because he possesses some of the characteristics we needed."
He added: "The same applies to Spence and Stones. They are well aware of the importance of this club and the levels the team has reached in recent years. And I am sure that we will be able to raise the level even further with these new additions."
On Spence replacing Dumfries, the coach warned against making direct comparisons between the players, saying: "It is not right to compare Spence with Dumfries, but we chose him because of his own characteristics. He also has a margin for development, and he is joining a team that wants to dominate once again."
