Cristian Chivu, Inter Milan's head coach, has declared that he takes full responsibility for the recent defeat to Club Brugge, last Tuesday, while confirming at the same time that star Lautaro Martinez will be absent until the end of the international break in November.
Inter went down 4-3 at home to Club Brugge in the Champions League, a result nobody saw coming. The Nerazzurri return to Serie A tomorrow, Saturday, away at Bologna, but that European stumble is still all anyone in the press wants to discuss.
Website "Football Italia" quoted Chivu as saying: "It is a different competition from the Champions League, and we are playing after only four days. The team got two days to recover, and we had a good training session together today. We discovered a problem that Lautaro is suffering from after the match, and he will not be available to take part."
On the European defeat, the coach said: "We accept our responsibilities. Something did not work properly in the last 30 minutes against Brugge, but we must not overlook what we did well in the first hour of the game, until we went 2-1 behind."
His analysis continued: "We created a lot of chances and went into the second half with the right mentality, and we created two clear-cut chances. Then everything collapsed after the second goal. We must analyse it as if it were two matches in one. We need to show a reaction and find new energy as quickly as possible. We must not feel sorry for ourselves. Instead, we need to respond strongly."
Eight goals conceded in six Serie A matches. Another six in two Champions League games. The questions about Inter's defensive solidity write themselves, and Chivu met them head on: "It has to start with me. I am the one primarily responsible."
He added: "We need to develop a shared mentality and take responsibility. This is a wonderful group of players. We just need to find unity and reconnect with the different moments of the match without letting adversity knock us down. We must not turn the defeat to Club Brugge into a drama, even if it was painful, because expectations were high."
Turning to the game itself, he said: "It was a win we could have achieved, and I say that with the utmost respect for the opponent. They were well organised and caused us problems when we dropped off mentally. We lost our confidence and became scattered. We acted on emotion instead of maintaining our organisation."
Lautaro Martinez scored twice against Club Brugge, then picked up an injury in the same match that will sideline him for around a month. The Milan derby goes without him. Chivu commented on that: "I am not a doctor. I have been told that this is the recovery time. We are talking about his return after the break. We simply need to do what we always do, whether with Lautaro or without him. Everyone must show leadership spirit and help us in striving to achieve greater ambitions."
Inter sit top of Serie A on 16 points, ahead of second-placed Lazio on goal difference alone.