Inter sporting director Ausilio: ‘We never pursued Fabregas, Chivu was the first call’ | OneFootball

Piero Ausilio has offered a rare and candid glimpse behind the curtain at Inter Milan, addressing everything from the club’s appointment of Cristian Chivu to a long-forgotten pursuit of Cesc Fabregas, as a player, not a coach, in a wide-ranging interview with YouTube channel Colpi da Maestro.

The sporting director, who has been a central figure at Inter through multiple ownership regimes, was reflective on the club’s journey.

“We grew, I think that is the word that best represents my story here,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, acknowledging the difficult years operating under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions before Oaktree’s arrival helped stabilise the club’s finances.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 18: Cesc Fabregas, Head Coach of Como 1907, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como 1907 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

One of the more surprising revelations concerned Fabregas, now impressing as Como’s head coach. Ausilio confirmed that Inter had indeed tried to sign the Spaniard, before he had even signed his first Barcelona contract – on the recommendation of former scout Pierluigi Casiraghi.

“He perhaps never even knew about it,” Ausilio said with a smile.

“Casiraghi kept pushing me. We tried, but he went to Arsenal, and given the career he had, that’s fine.”

Inter SD Ausilio: ‘Fabregas never close as coach, Chivu was the first call’

As for Fabregas the manager, Ausilio is an admirer, but was keen to set the record straight on reports linking him with the Inter job before Chivu was appointed.

“There was never really an Inter close to Fabregas as coach,” he said firmly.

“The first call was Chivu. When we faced the decision after Inzaghi, Chivu was the main idea, the one we believed in most. We knew him from his time with our Primavera, and his decision to take the Parma job showed real courage. We went straight to him and today we are absolutely delighted with that choice.”

Ausilio also revisited one of his most celebrated pieces of transfer business, the signing of Lautaro Martinez. He flew to Argentina personally to secure the deal at a time when the striker was on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid, and the negotiation very nearly collapsed.

“We had actually agreed a fee of less than what we ended up paying, around €20 million, but that evening he scored three goals and the next morning we had to start again,” Ausilio recalled.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 14: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano runs with the ball during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The perseverance paid off handsomely. Lautaro is now club captain and one of Serie A’s finest strikers.

Looking back across his tenure, Ausilio singled out the wave of high-profile free transfers, Calhanoglu, Thuram, Mkhitaryan, De Vrij, Acerbi, as a defining strategic move during a financially constrained period.

“They gave quality on and off the pitch and are still relevant today,” he said. “We took advantage of a favourable situation.”

On Inter’s current standing, Ausilio pushed back against any suggestion that the club’s ambitions have been scaled back.

“When you start a season at Inter, you always think about winning everything,” he said.

“I never believe those who say fourth place is fine. With this mentality you build your squad and set your objectives, and Chivu is no different from those who came before him.”