When the Inter Milan hierarchy turned to Christian Chivu to replace Simeone Inzaghi shortly after the Italian manager left for Al Hilal following their 5-0 drubbing to PSG in the final of the UEFA Champions League, there was a sense of understandable worry.
Chivu did enjoy considerable success as a player with Inter before retiring in 2014. He came back to the club as a youth coach for the junior sides back in 2018.
The former Romania international coached the U-14, U-16, U-17 and U-19 sides up until 2025, when he joined Parma to take up the manager role.
He spent three months at Parma, helping them avoid relegation from Serie A, before being brought back to Inter as head coach.
Was Chivu going to be able to handle the pressure of making Inter reclaim the Serie A title they lost last season? Did he have the tactical understanding to revive a club that had just humiliated themselves in the Champions League final?
It is now February 2026, and Chivu’s Inter are tearing apart Italian football.
He has orchestrated a tactical metamorphosis that has left the rest of Serie A in the rearview mirror.
After 25 games, Inter boast an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Chivu has proven the sceptics wrong, playing a brand of football that has made them almost impossible to beat.
From Inzaghi’s passive possession to Chivu’s high-octane verticality
Although Chivu chose to maintain the club’s customary three-at-the-back framework, he has fundamentally changed how they approach the game.
Chivu has prioritised direct attacking and aggressive recovery over the intricate build-up play that defined his predecessor’s time at the club.
According to data from One Football, Inter have become a high-turnover machine. Offensive ball recoveries have jumped from 6.1 to 7.0 per game, with the average ball recovery distance pushing higher up the pitch to 40.4 meters.
The Nerazzuri have ditched the patient approach, as they now rank fifth for progressive passes and fourth for passes into the penalty area, which underpins their willingness to go direct.
According to Data MB, Inter are truly one of the world’s best sides. While they are in the 72nd percentile for physicality and in the 88th for counters, they are in the 90s range for every other metric: goals, possession, attacking, defending and pressing.
Naturally, their players have enjoyed increased output in front of goal. Under Inzaghi, Federico Dimarco was already a threat in the final third from wingback, but under Chivu, he has truly exploded.
The Italy international has evolved into a world-class output machine. After 23 appearances in Serie A this season, he has amassed a staggering five goals and 12 assists, cementing his status as the league’s assist king.
Chivu’s faith in youth
Drawing on his years as the Inter Primavera coach, Chivu has done what many thought impossible at a club of Inter’s stature: successfully integrating academy stars into a Scudetto-winning charge.
The average age of the squad has dropped significantly, with Chivu fielding lineups as young as 26.22 (vs. Venezia).
Francesco Esposito has become the face of Chivu’s youth policy. The 20-year-old has scored crucial goals and been a focal point for the high press. He has complemented both Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram brilliantly.
Other players like Issiaka Kamate and Matteo Cocchi have regularly featured in matchday squads, offering fresh legs and tactical flexibility on the wings.
High risks, high rewards
Chivu’s Inter have been ruthless, especially against mid-table teams. The 5-0 demolition of Sassuolo, and their famous 3-2 victory over Juventus, showed this.
Off the pitch, Inter have not suffered as many injuries as they did last season. According to Italian publication FCInter1908, longer workouts and increased intensity have become hallmarks of Chivu’s approach on the training ground.
The 44-year-old is keen to eradicate his players’ proneness to injuries.
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But his methods have also been exposed, especially during European games. Chivu’s willingness to get his team to press high up the pitch means the defensive line must step up to keep their shape compact, even in the opposition’s half.
The defensive line can occasionally be exposed on transitions, a flaw exploited by Bodo/Glimt in a recent 3-1 Champions League setback.
As the 2025/26 season enters its final stretch, Chivu’s Inter look like a dominant force that has finally unlocked its true offensive potential. Whether or not the side will win another Scudetto and go far in the Champions League remains to be seen.
However, Inter look like a team singing from the same hymn sheet, and the results are there to see.
