Inter Milan coach: 'We were complacent'

The earthquake in the 1/8 round of the Club World Cup has called Inter Milan. The Serie A runner-up team unexpectedly fell 0-2 to Fluminense - an opponent that was considered much weaker on paper.

Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu admitted defeat to Fluminense.

Immediately after the match, coach Cristian Chivu did not avoid the issue, he frankly shared: "We were complacent."

“The team lacked vitality, lacked sharpness, and the way they started the game was not worthy of a team hungry for the title. Fluminense overwhelmed us with intensity and determination. Inter should have played more pragmatically, instead of trying to make things look pretty,” the Inter Milan captain continued.

Not stopping there, the Romanian coach also had to face "hot" statements from the brightest star - Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine striker hinted at the team's disorientation, and Chivu's response could not hide its severity.

“Lautaro’s message? I’ve said before that the whole team needs to row in the same direction, in the same boat. Lautaro may have been a little too aggressive,” said Chivu. “We are winners, but pride sometimes causes us to collide. However, if we want to move forward, we must all be united.”

Despite the defeat, Chivu remained calm and tried to look on the positive side. He stressed that Inter did not give up: “We fought until the end. Lautaro hit the inside of the post, De Vrij missed a clear chance. We only allowed three shots on target and conceded two goals - that was bitter.”

After three weeks of leading Inter in this tournament, Chivu said he had a more comprehensive view of the team: “I understand better the strengths, weaknesses, injuries, and especially the personalities of the players. They had to dig deep to the bottom of their will to fight, even in a challenging season.”

Closing the press conference with a positive outlook, Chivu emphasized: “I always try to look on the positive side. Focusing on the negative only gives me more headaches.”

However, after this defeat, it is clear that Inter need to improve not only in terms of tactics or fitness - but more importantly, the spirit and unity in the dressing room. What Lautaro Martinez said sounded an alarm bell. And if not resolved soon, the Nerazzurri ship could continue to be rocked in the storm.

Source: https://znews.vn/hlv-inter-milan-chung-toi-da-tu-man-post1564999.html