Internazionale coach Chivu attended the Serie A Round 6 pre-match press conference against Parma. In the second part of the conference, Chivu discussed the team's attitude towards the Parma match, issues with off-the-ball defending, the importance of Calhanoglu, the Serie A title race, and changes in league pace and rules.

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Reporter: Hello, Cristian. How big is the risk of underestimating Parma in this match? Although there's a clear gap in squad quality on paper, Parma has always been resilient, and they've just changed coaches, which often ignites a new desire to win. Plus, their entire squad has almost fully remained for three weeks to prepare thoroughly for this match. Considering Internazionale's slow starts in recent games, often conceding one or two goals early, is there a hidden danger of underestimating them?

Chivu: I believe that after all these years, we have long learned never to underestimate any opponent. Last season's journey is the best proof of this; the entire team has reached a very high level of psychological maturity. We might have dropped points in direct title clashes or big derby matches, but we have never been complacent or underestimated so-called weaker teams or other league opponents. This is entirely about the team's maturity, clear understanding, and determination to overcome difficult moments. Paper predictions never decide a match and do not reflect the full picture; we know this well. Whether on Sunday or any matchday, we always strive to show our strongest selves, play our established style, knowing that no victory is a given, and no one will just hand us points. To win matches, we must give our all, sweat, show the right attitude, excellent tactical standards, and enough confidence, fighting for victory with everything we have and ultimately reaping the rewards we deserve.

Reporter: Hello, Cristian. After the match against Roma, you emphasized that football consists of two phases: with the ball and without the ball. It felt like in the first half of that game, the team had some disconnections in the off-the-ball defensive phase. Although most of the team was away during the international break, did you conduct any specific training deployments or talks regarding off-the-ball defending during this period?

Chivu: Training? Today was the only joint training session! I don't need to go into specific communication details, but over these three weeks, I often spoke individually with several players who stayed, reviewing specific match situations and details. In my opinion, the key is the players' on-field perception in specific situations; they must see what needs to be done and what needs to be supplemented at that moment. This is purely a matter of attitude, willpower, and tactical execution. They need to learn to quickly rectify mistakes, fix tactical disconnections that appear at certain times, and mentally fully accept and execute this defensive responsibility. Defending is by no means just dropping deep and holding on, although in certain phases of the game, we must drop deep and do it better than before. As we have always said, the team has huge room for improvement in both phases: high pressing, midfield interception, and deep defensive positioning. The entire team must invest physical and mental energy into tactical details that serve the whole team, avoiding the loss of control over the game's rhythm. It is these small tactical details that each individual needs to improve and contribute to the team, making our overall defense more impregnable.

What we need to improve is defensive proactivity, to avoid always being in a passive reactive state or even jeopardizing the entire match. But at the same time, I absolutely cannot diminish the team's resilience in comebacks, which is also an extremely valuable asset: this is a mature team full of absolute self-confidence and excellent tactical acumen, often capable of incredible willpower to turn around games when trailing against top teams. So, while I don't want to extinguish this strong attacking spirit, I also hope everyone can add a layer of tactical maturity to better control the game's rhythm. Ultimately, this is about high loyalty to the team, strict adherence to our established competitive standards, complete dedication of individual interests to the collective good, and, more importantly, to achieve the noble goals we have jointly built and aspire to reach.

Reporter: Hello, coach. I'd like to continue discussing Calhanoglu. You just mentioned that "the team needs him greatly, he is irreplaceable on the field." Does the issue of defensive balance also largely depend on Calhanoglu's presence? Compared to other midfield teammates, is he the key player who can provide a qualitative leap for the entire team in the deep-lying playmaker position?

Chivu: Everyone in the team is well aware of Calhanoglu's importance to this team. But at the same time, I am also very eager to observe Stankovic's performance in this position, as well as midfield partners like Sucic, Mkhitaryan, and Barella. Whenever I evaluate a specific player individually, I am always very cautious, never wanting to undermine or shake the confidence and psychological perception of other players with biased comments. Outside journalists often focus only on certain big names, but I absolutely do not want players in the locker room who are not mentioned by the media to feel overlooked or self-doubt. In my tactical vision, every player is indispensable. In the off-the-ball defensive phase, maintaining reasonable defensive spacing, executing precise high pressing, showing aggression and firm will in high-risk one-on-one challenges, and actively tracking back to win second balls – these are the core details that determine defensive success. This demonstrates the quality of a high-level mature team, requiring every individual to take on their respective defensive responsibilities.

Reporter: Hello, Cristian. I have a question for you. Gasperini recently stated for the first time, arguably publicly, that his team has joined the title race. In your opinion, will Internazionale's title contenders emerge from the Como vs. Roma match? Or do other teams currently lower in the standings also have the strength to contend for the title and will rejoin the competition later?

Chivu: Why don't we discuss who Roma's main title contender is? Why don't we discuss who Como's main title contender is? Why don't we discuss who Juventus's main title contender is, and who Milan's main title contender is? Why are we always discussing who Internazionale's main title contender is? We don't need... We know our own strength, and we know that to translate the team's fighting power into ultimate glory, we must be pragmatic and fight hard match by match. We absolutely do not need external media to remind us every day as if we have already booked the crown and can hang medals around our necks. We are well aware that the external clamor is superficial, and all honors can only be earned through blood and sweat. It is too early to talk about the title race. Some teams have 13 points, followed by teams with 12, 11, or 10 points. The league has only played five rounds; it's ridiculous to divide imaginary enemies for each camp now. Like all ambitious giants, we strive to maintain extreme competitiveness. It's only October, and our only focus should be the upcoming matches; other vague hype is meaningless.

Reporter: Hello, coach. Serie A recently released a set of data showing a completely new look in the first five rounds of the season: significantly increased net playing time, more aggressive tactics from teams, a substantial rise in goals scored, very few 0-0 stalemates, and a record high proportion of young players appearing. This seems to be the exciting league everyone has been eagerly awaiting. I'd like to ask, do you think this is just a coincidence of the first five rounds, or is Serie A undergoing a fundamental technical and tactical transformation? As a former Serie A star and now a coach, do you think this benefits from the emergence of many young coaches like yourself, Fàbregas, and Amorim, or is Italian football, after the painful blow of missing the World Cup, finally determined to embark on a new path of technique and offense?

Chivu: I believe that the chronic problems facing the entire football system and deep-seated football culture cannot be completely reversed in just two months, and a short-term rebound in data cannot be casually defined as a substantial leap. The future direction and destination of Italian football still require a longer period of observation and reflection. But it is undeniable that we are currently seeing more dynamic movement, faster offensive and defensive rhythms, and higher intensity in confrontations. Teams no longer focus on endless time-wasting because rule changes have institutionally blocked this trick: the current rules are very strict. If you fall and roll around because your nose was lightly touched by a fingernail, as long as the medical staff enters the field, you must be forced to leave the field for one minute, putting your team in the precarious situation of playing with ten men against eleven. Goalkeepers also have extremely strict countdown limits for goal kicks; they are no longer allowed to slowly adjust shin guards to waste time. If they delay the kick, possession will be directly awarded to the opponent.

The entire set of rules is geared towards comprehensively increasing the flow rate of the game. As far as I know, this has increased the average net playing time by approximately 5 minutes, which is absolutely a huge leap! This gives the game strong continuity, forcing players to adapt lightning-fast to this high-speed reality. Fast-paced transitions and quick restarts will undoubtedly place extremely demanding requirements on players' physical limits and energy consumption. Will the overall league standard continue to improve? Very likely. But in any case, all teams must quickly embrace the new reality of modern football, fully adapt to and master these fast-paced new rules.

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