Inter Milan 1-1 Atalanta – Former Real Madrid & AC Milan Head Coach Questions Chivu Decisions & Claims Nerazzurri ‘Were Poor Physically’ | OneFootball

Fabio Capello has questioned Cristian Chivu’s decision-making in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Atalanta, claiming Inter Milan were below par physically and that a key substitution backfired at a critical moment in the match.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Italy coach was present at San Siro and offered a candid verdict on what he witnessed. ”

I was at San Siro and I saw a team that was poor physically,” he said bluntly, via FCInterNews.

“They had the chances to close the game when it was 1-0, but my impression, if I’m being honest, is that Chivu is a little confused.”

Inter 1-1 Atalanta: Capello: ‘Chivu Changes Didn’t Convince Me’

On the substitutions specifically, Capello was pointed in his criticism.

“The changes did not convince me. Why take off Esposito, who was stopping the team from sitting deep and forcing Atalanta not to push up too high? After that, Atalanta took control of the game.”

It is a reading of the match that will sting, the suggestion that removing one of Inter’s better performers directly contributed to conceding the equaliser.

Despite the dropped points, Capello acknowledged that Inter’s title rivals would need to sustain a near-perfect run to close the gap.

“Everything would still depend on Inter, they would need to drop points in at least another two or three games.”

The Nerazzurri face Fiorentina, Roma and Como in their next three fixtures, three sides with plenty to play for, and Capello made clear that further slip-ups would keep the race very much alive.