Attacking Versatility & ‘Grit’ At The Heart Of Cristian Chivu’s New Inter Milan | OneFootball

Attacking versatility and “grit” will be the elements at the heart of the new-look Inter Milan under coach Cristian Chivu.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

Cristian Chivu has now had some time to settle in at Inter Milan.

When the Romanian took over as Nerazzurri coach, he was replacing Simone Inzaghi on the fly.

Therefore, that meant that at the Club World Cup, Chivu stuck with Inzaghi’s system by and large. He didn’t have time to really implement his own ideas.

But now, Chivu has had the preseason training camp with which to put his stamp on the Nerazzurri.

Attacking Versatility & “Grit” Key To New-Look Inter Under Chivu

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 21: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between FC Internazionale Milano and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

According to the Corriere dello Sport, the most notable change to Inter between Inzaghi and Chivu will be a greater versatility in attack.

Under Inzaghi, there were virtually always two strikers. And then supporting them was a midfield trio, and two wingbacks.

This led to Inter really focusing on using the wide areas to stretch and move up the pitch.

On the other hand, the Corriere note, Chivu is less wedded to any particular formation.

The 44-year-old has certainly shown a willingness to use Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 shape. However, 3-4-2-1 and 3-4-1-2 are also possibilities. Inter could even line up with a back four at times.

The idea for Chivu is to mix the attack up, but always have plenty of options to get the ball into the penalty area centrally.

Therefore, players as diverse as Davide Frattesi, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Luis Henrique are among the options that Chivu could deploy as attacking midfielders.

Meanwhile, the Corriere note, Chivu is also focusing more on physicality and winning the ball high. He wants Inter to regain their “grit” and intensity.