Among the many praises for Portuguese José Mourinho, Inter coach Cristian Chivu also found a way to take a small jab at his former coach on the eve of the match between Inter and Real Madrid, valid for the first round of the League Phase of the 2026-2027 Champions League.
The Inter coach was asked to comment on the words of the Special One, according to which it would be "strange that Inter have not won the Champions League recently". The Romanian's answer was not at all usual: "The question to ask him is whether he wanted Inter to win it. Then he is a winner, he knows how to adapt to realities like no other and that is indisputable".
Chivu and Mourinho, a special relationship born from Tripleta
Chivu's return to the Santiago Bernabeu brings with it special memories. In 2010, the Romanian defender was the protagonist of the Special One team that won the Champions League, playing as a starter in the final and staying on the field for 79 minutes. After that match, he celebrated in the locker room with a liberation cigarette. A memory that remained indelible, as did the relationship with the Portuguese coach.
"Playing here is always an honour," said the black and blue coach, looking around the conference room, "and the stadium is even more beautiful than before, more modern." Chivu then returned to the Bernabeu in November 2025 to watch an NFL game, another of his great passions. This time, however, what is at stake is completely different: there is a new Champions League to watch.
"We have the obligation to write important pages in the history of the club. In 2010 it was fantastic". And Mourinho holds a special place in the memories of the current black and blue coach: "He is a special person that I had the honor of meeting. He gave me a hand in a difficult moment of my life and I will never forget that". A master, but not a model to imitate in everything: "I have never copied anyone. I have my own idea of football, created during the years as a footballer and during those I spent in the youth sector, where I was lucky enough to experiment and work with the younger generations".
Real Madrid-Inter, Chivu requires courage and personality
The challenge at the Bernabeu remains one of the toughest possible. Chivu is aware of this and does not hide the difficulties: "We are aware that playing here is not easy. It has been 59 years since Inter have beaten Real at the Bernabeu. We do not want to change our nature, but to have courage and personality. We want to be dominant here too. There is no perfect way to face them, there are players who always make the difference".
For the possible starting lineup, the black and blue coach did not give guarantees, with Jones and Stones candidates to start from the first minute. Chivu prefers to emphasize the value of the entire group: "It is not important who plays the starting lineup, but the group. We saw this in these three weeks of the championship. I would have chosen one more day of rest after Napoli, but this is the calendar and we have to get used to it. The Champions League is treacherous, sometimes you have to be lucky. We want to be competitive".
The comparison with the Triplet Inter, on the contrary, does not convince the coach: "Football has changed compared to 16 years ago. The group I belonged to wrote history, but today's one is trying to do the same. They have reached and lost three finals between the Champions League and the Europa League, but they have reached that point. I do not like to make comparisons with the past". The immediate objective is to start on the right foot on the new European journey. Chivu already sees the objective of the 1/8 stage: "To reach the 1/8 we need at least 16 points, with 15 we risk. We have to play for it".
