Chivu: "Our togetherness is our strength, we want to go far in all of the competitions" | OneFootball

On the eve of the match against Union Saint-Gilloise, Cristian Chivu answered questions from the press at the RSC Anderlecht Stadium:

In the Champions League, given the situation and the next two matches, do you already think you'll finish in the top eight or is there a great ambition? "We've always said: being Inter, we have the obligation to think big. Then, from words to facts, the road is long. But, we have a group of quality players and a club that supports us and allows us to work well on all fronts, including the Coppa Italia. We must be the best versions of ourselves, winning match after match and entering Spring in all competitions. When I say that we want to go far, I refer to this: to the opportunity, between March and April, to take centre stage again. This is our objective".

At this moment in time, the team is enthusiastic and is getting some good results. What is the most important thing to avoid, so that they stay on track? "We must maintain the enthusiasm, but also the awareness. We're an experienced side, as a group and Club, and we know that one wrong move could peg us back. We're in good form, we're confident and we're putting in solid and convincing performances. The key will be to continue with the same strength and mentality as shown in recent weeks, knowing that there will be difficult moments. That is when we will need to stick together".

The match tomorrow is in between the matches against Roma and Napoli. How will you manage the rotations? Will we see Pio and Bonny starting in attack? "I don't speak about rotations, I speak about choices. For me, there are no starters: I've said that for two months. I trust in each of my 25 players. They are all great and all ready to start. I am happy to have a group like this, because it helps me bring forward a job and project that I believe in: creating a positive environment in which everyone believes they can contribute. This is our strength".

Just on Lautaro and Thuram, how are they doing? "Lautaro is good. He has some problems before the match against Roma, but he gave everything on the pitch, and did well in training the day after. He trained normally today. In terms of Marcus, we still need a bit of time. We're aiming to recover him as soon as possible, but it will be difficult for the Napoli match".

On the opposition tomorrow: does the fact that they've just changed their Coach change anything? "Not a lot. They played the same formation against Charleroi. They're an aggressive side, that presses high and defends high, trying to always maintain pressure on the opposition. I don't think that a new Coach can drastically change the identity of a group, especially when it comes to a group that won the league last year. They already have three points in the Champions League and have great players: they beat PSV on the opening day, then they had a blip against Newcastle, but that can happen to anyone. We will need to be ready, because we will be facing a very aggressive and solid team".

Considering the performance against Roma, the standings and the schedule, would it be wrong to say that tomorrow is more important than the match against Napoli on Saturday? "We're not thinking about Napoli, we're taking it one match at a time. The Champions League is a competition that can never be underestimated. These players have shown what it means to play in it in the last few years: two finals in three years don't come around by chance. There are Club's that haven't managed this in thirty years. We treat every match with the utmost attention and responsibility, to honour the shirt and the work done by the Club and players. There'll will be time to think about Napoli, from tomorrow evening".

Against Roma, we saw a great team performance. Is there still something missing in terms of your idea of Inter? "There's still… tomorrow's match. I'm not thinking about the Roma match or the league, this is a press conference for the Champions League. I like to speak about what we are facing: we've had two good matches, there's another coming tomorrow, which is also important. We want to honour our shirt, our identity, and all that this team and club represents in Europe".