Cristian Chivu will likely win the Serie A Scudetto for Inter Milan on his first try. But is it his tactics that have done it, or his man-management style? Or is it simply down to pure luck?
I’ll try to get to the bottom of it! Let’s look at Chivu’s tactics, focusing on the 25/26 season, and try to determine what’s next for the club and for the Romanian manager.
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Career Prior to Managing Internazionale Milano
He’s a former Inter player, and that’s why he got the job, right? No, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Cristian Chivu was a top defender, maybe, just a smudge below world-class. Quickly recruited from the Romanian league, Chivu played more than 100 games for Ajax Amsterdam, winning one Dutch title.
His performances led to a transfer to AS Roma, where he won the Coppa Italia in 2007. In turn, this led to an even higher-profile transfer to Inter Milan, where he spent eight years as a player. During this time, he won three Scudetto trophies and the Champions League.
Chivu’s managerial career began in 2021, working with Inter’s youth team. In 2025, he managed Parma and guided the team out of the relegation zone.
In the following campaign, he took charge of a highly successful Internazionale side that, however, was dealing with numerous squad issues.
At the time of writing, Inter’s still in pole position to win the league. Despite an early exit from the Champions League, this is an unexpected result. So, what are Chivu’s tactics?
Tactical Philosophy
Chivu’s press conferences reveal that he’s one of the few Serie A managers who doesn’t lose his cool. His tactical philosophy reflects that.
Neither at Parma nor at Inter has Chivu altered the team’s previous approach much.
Inter, for example, was used to playing in a 3-5-2 system under Simone Inzaghi. Chivu has used the same system throughout this campaign.
What Chivu does focus on is intensity. Blending a squad of veterans with younger players, in the early part of the season, Inter was a pressing machine. When needed, however, Chivu is a pragmatist, happy to sit in a 5-3-2 mid-block for most of the game.
Chivu’s Inter likes to win back possession quickly, play on the counterattack, and exploit space down the wings.
Formations and Adaptability
Chivu is first making a name for his man-management skills. His reluctance to change Inter’s or Parma’s default formations was especially a result of the kind of team he inherited.
Early in the season, Inter’s most important players looked tired and demotivated. Besides, the club made it clear that the rebuild would be slow due to a lack of funds.
Chivu has played in a variation of a 3-5-2 system across the entire 25/26 season. When defending, the wing-backs tend to drop down and create a 5-3-2 formation.
Internazionale in Attack
Perhaps Chivu’s greatest asset in earning the chance to coach Inter Milan is the fact that he was the youth team coach for seven years. He knows the system used by Simone Inzaghi and the player coming through the ranks.
Yes, there are online memes about most of Inter’s goals this season being scored off Federico Di Marco’s crosses. This isn’t untrue. And it’s an effective tactic. The wing-back currently has 14 assists in Serie A.
However, it should be noted that the strikers at the end of those crosses possess, typically, more strength, better heading abilities, and more experience than most defenders marking them. Lautaro Martinez is the team’s main goalscorer, with Marcus Thuram and Pio Esposito acting as sidekicks.
And experience has helped, greatly, in match management. Inter averages 2.2 goals scored per game and 0.8 conceded. The team registers the most goal opportunities of any team in Serie A.
Simply put, if Internazionale scores first, it can defend the lead and use the speed of Di Marco and Luis Henrique to launch counter-attacks.
Build-Up
I feel I need to note that, in many ways, Internazionale is the Italian team of the last decade. For all its domination, however, it’s won less silverware than was expected.
Still, that domination was created using world-class players. Although older, many are still with the club. Their experience is invaluable in the way Inter progresses the ball.
Chivu’s Inter doesn’t merely play tiki-taka passing or launch direct balls forward. The team plays a mixture of both based on the opposition’s pressing style.
Typically, the build-up starts from the back with the three defenders playing a pass to one of the wing-backs who drifts further into defence.
It’s also likely that Nicolo Barella may drop further to offer support, while playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu and the two strikers push forward, looking to stretch the opposition’s defence.
Inter’s also fortunate to depend on central defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Yann Biseck, Manuel Akanji, or Alessandro Bastoni prefer to advance and make a short pass rather than merely throw the ball to the strikers.
Cristian Chivu’s Defensive Plans
I discussed the technical aspects of Inter’s defensive system. They’re also disciplined players.
When under pressure or trying to defend a lead, Chivu’s players will soak up the pressure by lining up in a five-man defence in the mid-block.
However, Internazionale also uses pressing triggers and, against lower-tier opposition, will press up, looking to secure victory long before the final whistle has blown.
Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer has conceded just 23 goals in 28 matches. He has a save percentage of 72%. And while these stats, as with Internazionale as a whole, have decreased in recent months, they are still impressive.
What’s Next for Chivu and Internazionale?
This season has proven that Internazionale can rebuild while maintaining some of its stronger form.
What went right for Chivu? Results were strong in the early part of the season. Inter are still top of the league, even if the gap between them and AC Milan or Napoli has shrunk.
Chivu has managed to get results with minimal investment or changes to the existing squad. His calm, collected nature makes him a strong candidate for a future top manager.
What went wrong? Internazionale were eliminated from the Champions League in an embarrassing manner by Bodo/Glimt. The team’s also squandered some of its mid-season advantage in the league.
Much of this, however, can be attributed to tiredness. The squad is still mostly made up of veteran players. There’s no getting around the fact that Chivu will have to prove his knowledge of the transfer market in the 26/27 season.
What’s next? Whether Inter wins the Scudetto (as is most likely) or not, Chivu’s likely to be the team’s manager come next season.
The general feeling is that there’s once again a good reason for Nerrazzuri fans to be optimistic.
