Materazzi: ‘Chivu perfect for Inter, Inzaghi threw away two titles’ | OneFootball

Marco Materazzi feels that Cristian Chivu is ‘the perfect man’ to lead Inter and blasts Simone Inzaghi. ‘We threw away two Serie A titles with the strongest squad in the league.’

The Nerazzurri had been eager to continue with Inzaghi after ending the season empty-handed, including a 5-0 Champions League Final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

However, he preferred to walk away and take over at Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, so former defender Chivu has been drafted in as his replacement.

epa12148192 Players of Inter look disappointed as they greet their supporters after losing the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

“I have no doubts, Chivu is the perfect man for Inter,” Materazzi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Materazzi was teammates with Chivu in the Inter squad that won the Treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010, but following retirement, the Romanian went into management at the Nerazzurri youth academy.

“He waited for the right moment to grasp his dream job with both hands. He had several offers over the years, including when he was at the youth team, but he had the intelligence to wait for the best opportunity.

“Who better than him, an Interista who won the Champions League, to shake up the team after such a heavy defeat? What they need now is some good old-fashioned Interism.”

Materazzi has mixed view of Inzaghi’s Inter era

epa12148298 Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi walks past the trophy after losing the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano, in Munich, Germany, 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ANNA SZILAGYI

World Cup winner Materazzi was one of several former Inter players in the stands for the Champions League Final.

“I stayed in my seat to the end in order to pay tribute to the players and all those who took us to a second Final in three years. I would never have walked out,” he assured of the 5-0 defeat.

It was one of the catalysts for Inzaghi to depart, and now his four-year tenure is being re-evaluated.

“I will only say two things. The first is that Simone should be thanked for all he did in those four years, the 20th Scudetto and for getting the team to play in a certain way, but it is also true that he could’ve done more. We threw away two Serie A titles with the strongest squad in the league.”

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 21: FC Internazionale Milano former player Cristian Chivu looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 21, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

Now that Inzaghi is gone, Chivu will start from Monday and prepare for the Club World Cup, where Materazzi hopes he can relaunch some players.

“Davide Frattesi has 8-10 goals in him, he took us to the Champions League Final scoring against Bayern Munich and Barcelona, so there are few out there like him. Chivu can get the best out of Frattesi.

“I think with one or two smart choices for new players, Inter can win again. Just look at what Napoli did with Scott McTominay, who is my son’s idol. They were crazy at Manchester United to let him leave like that.”

MUNICH, GERMANY – APRIL 08: Davide Frattesi of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between FC Bayern München and FC Internazionale Milano at Fussball Arena Muenchen on April 08, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Materazzi has an anecdote to explain the kind of attitude that Chivu can bring out of the Inter players.

“Cristian has such heart, I still remember when we ‘thumped’ Goran Pandev in the Coppa Italia semi-final with Lazio. There were so many second choice players, we were two left-footed figures together in central defence… Goran got beaten up. We had a lot of fun that day.”