‘Keep your hands to yourself’

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 14: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, seems to be on previous to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Picture by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photos)

Cristian Chivu admits Inter’s dismal document in massive video games ‘weighed’ on them in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Juventus, however denied Alessandro Bastoni dived to get Pierre Kalulu despatched off.

The Nerazzurri had did not beat any of the opposite massive golf equipment to date this season, however even right here they had been pressured to attend till the ninetieth minute to lastly break 10-man Juve down.

Andrea Cambiaso bizarrely scored at each ends for 1-1 earlier than the controversial Pierre Kalulu purple card, then Francesco Pio Esposito’s header was cancelled out by Manuel Locatelli.

It was finally determined by a Piotr Zielinski shot that wrong-footed Michele Di Gregorio when going via Locatelli’s legs for the 3-2 consequence.

Chivu balances criticism and reward of Inter

“We needed to concentrate on the efficiency greater than the consequence this season, however as you’ve been reminding me continuously, Inter had not crushed a giant membership in Serie A for 2 years, so the lads felt that strain,” Chivu informed Sky Sport Italia.

“With coronary heart and character, we did what we wanted to with a purpose to convey residence the victory. I’ll take the willpower and the need to at all times harm a group that has been inflicting issues for each opponent since Luciano Spalletti arrived. They’re a formidable group, each collectively and individually.”

Juventus had been so indignant over the “unacceptable and embarrassing” refereeing with reference to that Kalulu purple card that Spalletti refused to talk to the media, as a substitute sending administrators Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli.

Chivu famously tries to keep away from discussing the refereeing in any state of affairs, however this was a really tough incident to disregard.

“I feel it’s a mild contact, however it’s nonetheless a contact. After I handled comparable conditions within the Champions League, I informed my gamers to not put themselves in a state of affairs the place they pressure the referee to make the decision,” famous the coach.

He was in fact referring to the extremely delicate and decisive penalty awarded to Liverpool of their victory over Inter.

“Even when it’s mild, and now we have to confess it’s a mild contact, my participant nonetheless felt the contact and was working at full pace. Kalulu is an skilled participant and he should know that in these conditions, you retain your arms to your self.”

Chivu evidently knew that Bastoni was in danger, as a result of the defender was already on a yellow card and arguably was simply as prone to get despatched off for simulation in that transfer as Kalulu was for the problem, so he substituted the Italian at half-time.

“I modified Bastoni as a result of I used to be afraid of Conceicao, however seeing as Conceicao then was substituted, I might’ve left him on,” insisted the Inter boss.

The Romanian was a defender, so how would he have actually reacted if that purple card had been given in opposition to him on the sphere?

“If I’m on a yellow card, I don’t put my arms on an opponent, particularly on a counter-attack when I’m anticipated by the opponent,” insisted Chivu.

Inter had been on the prime of the Serie A desk regardless of not managing to win a single head-to-head battle, and the coach totally admits this statistic affected them psychologically.

“I hope that tonight’s recreation is the turning level for the psychological and even bodily block that this group has. I didn’t just like the efficiency, we didn’t have the legs or sharpness to do what we had ready or play our soccer.

“On the finish of the day, I’ll take the victory, and was making an attempt to inform them that they received in Dortmund. You sensed tonight the anxiousness of a facet that hadn’t been in a position to win a giant recreation for 2 years, it was weighing on them,” confessed Chivu.

“We should additionally give credit score to Juventus, who brought about us issues with their motion, their high quality, and the model of soccer proposed by Spalletti. They’re in fine condition, and even all the way down to 10 males managed to equalise. Once we had been 2-1 up, we must always’ve managed the state of affairs higher, the worry set in, however I’m glad we pushed to the top for the victory and received it with an amazing Zielinski objective.”

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