Chivu: ‘Maybe’ Inter ‘don’t deserve’ to be in the Supercoppa

Inter coach Chivu met the media on Thursday on the eve of the Supercoppa Italiana semifinal against Bologna.

The other semi-final, Napoli-Milan, will be played tonight.

All the matches, the two semi-finals and a final, are played at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“It’s a trophy you can win with two games. This team can still grow; it has the desire and ambition to keep moving along this path,” Chivu said via FcInter1908.

“Maybe we don’t deserve to be here, but we’re taking advantage of the new format. This mini-tournament is a gift for Milan and us. We’re here, so we want to play all the way to the end.”

The Supercoppa Italiana was originally a meeting between Coppa Italia and Serie A winners, but since 2023 it has a new format which also involves the runners-up in both competitions.

Inter finished the 2024-25 Serie A campaign in second behind Napoli, while Milan lost the Coppa Italia Final against Bologna.

Hakan Calhanoglu has made the trip to Saudi Arabia after missing Sunday’s 2-1 win over Genoa, and is available for tomorrow’s match.

“Calhanoglu trained with us today and is available to the group. We’ll evaluate whether he starts or comes on during the match,” said Chivu.

Winning a trophy, his first one as Inter coach, doesn’t give extra motivation to the Nerazzurri boss.

“It doesn’t change anything for me. I’m not chasing a reputation. I’d be happy for them [the players]. I’m enjoying our growth; we want to show how good and valuable these players are around Italy and Europe,” he admitted.

“They deserve a lot for who they are as people. We have the desire and the awareness of what we want and what we can do.

“Bologna aren’t a tricky team just for Inter, but for everyone,” Chivu continued.

“They were before with Thiago Motta and with Sinisa [Mihajlovic], and they are still with Italiano. They have energy and fo things that put anyone in trouble, we have to match their intensity.”

Inter have not won many games against direct rivals in Serie A under Chivu. Is this a concern for the Supercoppa where some of the best teams in Italy meet?

“Roma are also a head-to-head clash that is never mentioned,” argued Chivu.

“We don’t have anything to prove. We certainly don’t lack the desire to win them all, but it’s never easy. What happened with Milan last season is the past, we’ll try to get past Bologna and then we’ll see.

“The group is hungry and wants to win trophies. We’ve done our best to bring back enthusiasm and self-belief. Football can be cruel at times when you lose undeservedly, but you must always leave the pitch with your head held high. We know the commitment we put in every day and what we want to build for the future,” Chivu concluded.