Sassuolo 0-5 Inter Milan – Nerazzurri Head Coach Admits ‘We’re Not Perfect But We Have Burning Desire’ | OneFootball

Cristian Chivu struck a careful balance between satisfaction and caution after Inter Milan dismantled Sassuolo 5-0, insisting his side’s hunger matters more than the scoreline.

Inter had to survive a lively start from the hosts before taking control.

Speaking first to Sky Sport, via FCInterNews, Chivu focused on how his players handled that early phase.

“It shows our growth and maturity, the ability to understand the moments of the match and to withstand the opponent’s pressure in the first minutes,” he said.

“We also had to learn how to be more concrete in front of goal and we unlocked it with our first shot. Those little things make the difference.”

The Romanian coach admitted Sassuolo’s approach caused problems at the beginning.

“They put us in difficulty early on with their vertical play,” Chivu continued on Sky.

“But we read the moments well and managed to double the lead. That ability to recognise when to suffer and when to strike is part of our growth.”

Sassuolo 0-5 Inter Milan – Chivu Focused On Task At Hand

GENOA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Cristian Chivu, head coach of Inter, reacts during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Luigi Ferraris Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

Despite Inter’s growing advantage in the table, Chivu refused to let his players look too far ahead.

“We have to recognise the moment and the progress we’ve made over the last two and a half months,” he said.

“But we also have to stay grounded, keep our feet on the ground and maintain humility. There are many teams fighting for the top places. We’ll see where we are in March and April.”

In his separate post-match interview with DAZN, via FCInterNews, Chivu again stressed that Inter’s rise comes from work rather than confidence alone.

“We must not forget where we come from and what we have done to reach this point,” he said.

“We should not be afraid of anything, but we have to be aware that through work, the work we’ve done and still have to do, we can keep improving. We must not have the obsession of perfection because perfection doesn’t exist.”

Chivu also made clear that he sees this period as a crucial stretch of the campaign.

“These are important moments of the season, we are at the halfway point of a marathon,” he said on DAZN. “We must keep our maturity and our desire to be competitive.”

Asked directly about the Scudetto race, the Inter coach shut down any talk of percentages.

“For me it’s zero percent,” he replied firmly.

“There are still many matches to play and many teams share our ambition. There is still a lot to do, a lot of work and a lot to prove.”

Sassuolo 0-5 Inter – Chivu: ‘We Grew Into The Game’

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 06: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Como 1907 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Finally, in his club interview with Inter TV, Chivu returned to the tactical side of the performance.

“We had some difficulty at the start, then we grew into the match, scored and found the second goal,” he said.

“In the second half we added more goals and then their red card made things clearer. The team has grown a lot in understanding the moments, in how to approach games, in being dominant and decisive.”

Even after a five-goal victory, Chivu’s message remained consistent across all three interviews: Inter are stronger and more mature, but far from finished products.

“We know we are not perfect and that we can be put in difficulty,” he concluded. “But we know what we want to be. We still have room to improve, and we have a burning desire to stay competitive until the end.”