Romania's Cristian Chivu, the manager of Inter Milan, confirmed that playing the "Derby della Madonnina" against bitter rivals Milan always gives his players an extra edge of motivation. He insisted, though, that the result will not be "decisive" in the title race, with the championship still in its early rounds.
League leaders Inter travel to face Milan in the first derby between the city's two giants this season tomorrow, Saturday. The Nerazzurri may have swept up both league and cup last season, but they struggled badly against Milan in the (2025-2026) campaign, losing both league meetings. Inter's last derby win dates back to April 2024, and their record shows no victories in the last seven games against the Rossoneri: five defeats and two draws.
Speaking at Friday's press conference, Chivu confirmed his players need no additional motivation for a clash of this size. He said, according to "Football Italia": "They are ready and aware of the fact that it is a derby match. Playing in these encounters always constitutes an added motivation, and the league table does not matter here and holds no value."
Assessing Milan and the talk around their fast starts this season, Chivu explained: "It is about complete balance, whether in physical or mental readiness. You must be well aware of the right timing to make certain decisions. We know Milan's strengths and how they can hurt us. They are a team with high technical quality, and we have to be ready to maintain our cohesion and keep our lines close together with depth coverage."
Asked about the desire to "restore dignity and pride" after seven winless derbies, Chivu was blunt: "We have to treat it as a normal league match. We cannot be satisfied with what we have offered so far, rather we must be the best possible version of ourselves. We must also review ourselves if we have not achieved a win in the last seven derbies. The details and decisive moments fell in their favour, as happened in the first leg last year, and we have to make greater sacrifices."
One defeat against Milan will not define Inter's season, Chivu stressed, just as it did not last year. "The lesson I learned from last season is that the derby is not decisive," he added. "It is a major encounter in Serie A as usual, and there are only three points at stake."
He continued: "History reminds us that Milan won the first leg last year and then later lost to Lazio in Rome when everyone thought the race had ignited again. We are still only in the tenth round of the season. Of course there are other things that play a role such as pride, determination, and making the fans happy. You know that things are not easy if you do not achieve a win."
The Inter manager pressed on: "There are no teams that are favourites to win in derby matches, as there is great desire and ambition, and you must find the required energy and motivation. The pressure falls on everyone, but we cannot think about that too much. You just have to do things the right way."
Turning to the plans for the new stadium recently unveiled by the two clubs, and whether he expected to still be in charge when it opens, Chivu laughed: "I have to be careful about what I say. I am in favour of renewal, as the world moves forward, but on the other hand I feel sorry. I gave a lot as a player at San Siro. But life goes on and we have to accept that. The future may look a little frightening, but it will bring happiness once we get used to it."
Would he see himself as Inter's manager when they move to the new stadium? He replied: "I will not say anything, as we still have four years ahead of us. It is difficult to stay in your place throughout all those years, but if the sporting culture changes, then perhaps that will happen."