Chivu: “We will be ready and up to this important challenge” | OneFootball

CHARLOTTE – Inter – Fluminense is around the corner, match valid for round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup. The game is scheduled for Monday at 3pm local time (9pm in Italy). The winners will face in the quarterfinals the winning side of Manchester City - Al Hilal. From the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Cristian Chivu’s press conference.

The level is rising: a knockout game is next, is Inter ready? "We’re ready as we’ve been from the start, to honour this tournament, to honour what our team stands for. We’ve been ready since day one, we have now rested a few days. The conditions here are different from the West Coast’s, where it was cooler. We are ready: we want to do our best, we want to be the best version of ourselves’’. What’s Marcus Thuram’s condition? "Marcus joined the team in training, the last two sessions, which were good, his pain in his thigh has gone, but we will see’’. What do you think of Thiago Silva? "He’s had ana amazing career, one of the best in his role. I have always appreciated him’’. Frattesi has gone back to Milano, as other players: what’s the overall condition? "When we left Milano we took these situations into account, that’s why some of the lads from the Under 20 are here with us and they’ve helped up step it up a notch in training. Injuries are part of the deal, some issues come at the end of the season, and they need to be checked out. Then other players manage to get back in shape like Thuram, Frattesi and Calhanoglu tried too. We decided to send Davide back to evaluate his situation’’. The game against River Plate was tough in terms of intensity: you’re facing a Brazilian side, what do you expect? "All the teams now have the ambition to go ahead in the competition. Fluminense are a side with quality, experience and intensity. The game against River Plate was useful as it forced us to change gear, it’s been a positive aspect. Tomorrow we will have to do the same thing, we need to be ready, understand the moments of the game. Considering what we’ve done in Seattle, I think we are ready and up to the challenge’’. Did you see Fluminense in this group stage? "They’ve got down to business immediately, maybe with Borussia Dortmund, since it was the first game of the groups, they’d rather settled for a draw to later tweak the table in the following games. Next up we have a knockout game, with extra time and penalties if it comes to it. We need to stay focused, avoid making mistakes and leverage on theirs. It will be tough physically too, for everyone: the temperature will challenge the opponents too, and they can create problems for any team. Brazilian teams have a great mentality; they raise the level of these competitions. Four teams at round of 16, it’s very good for their movement. Brazilian players make this sport so awesome’’. What do you think of the weather protocol and the possibility of suspending the match after it started? "I hope a decision will be made before tomorrow’s game. Getting to the stadium to then find out that the match might be postponed can be a problem. In order to play these games, you need to have a good preparation: you need to eat in a suitable way, drink too at precise times. These things are a must to face something like 120 minutes of match. I hope they will have some sense of responsibility that will lead to making a decision by 12, as I read too about this weather alert.’’. What changed from the first day of training to now? "Nothing, it’s all the same. Some players are back, some had to leave, but we have the same passion and ambition. We want to complete a great tournament’’