On the eve of the derby between Milan and Inter, valid for the 28th matchday of Serie A, Cristian Chivu answers journalists’ questions in a press conference at Appiano Gentile. Below are the coach’s words.
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It’s a derby, we all know what it represents for two strong teams in the same city, with big ambitions. We have to maintain what we’ve done well so far. Being competitive is a factor that allows us to best express our growth.
We can’t change what we’ve done well. We can’t change our identity, what we’ve tried to support from the beginning. We have to be good at understanding the moments without losing what we’ve done so far.
Everyone is quite well. Today we had some problems with Marcus who has a bit of a fever and wasn’t able to train today. We hope that tomorrow he will be 100% to be available for the group. Calhanoglu is showing signs of improvement physically, in terms of match rhythm. That hour in Como helped him and we’ll see tomorrow.
Since the beginning of the year, we’ve done mental preparation for all the matches regardless of the opponent and we’ve improved. We don’t underestimate or overestimate anyone. What matters is managing who we are and what we want to do without underestimating or overestimating the opponent. We’ve built an identity and ambitions that allow us to be calm even though we’re facing a strong team that has only lost two matches, that has players who are top individually. We have to be our best version.
Game of a lifetime? I expect conviction, calmness, consistency in all the good things without thinking about the statistics of this match or what has happened recently. We’ve done important things, we’ve reacted to some defeats and disappointments, the team has built a conviction that allows it to face all matches in the same way.
What matters are the moments, where you have to understand how to manage them and what needs to be done at a certain moment. In the first leg, they forced us at times to drop back. It’s not about the game plan, you have to understand the moments and what the opponent’s strengths are. Try not to make mistakes that can allow them to exploit their characteristics. Speculating on a match like this is not for us and we will try to understand the moments.
Pio is lucky to have teammates who help him and give him calmness, then it’s his individual skill to understand the reality he’s in, the determination, the work ethic he has. He’s having an impressive season, he’s handling the pressure and also all the rumors about what is said and thought. This does him credit. He has the numbers on his side and is having an important season. Comparisons with other strikers? Maybe he doesn’t have the speed of Marcus or Bonny but he’s so good at doing certain things, at helping the team move up, at making the right lay-offs, at filling the box where he’s devastating, with his head and feet, he’s clever despite his young age. We’re all very happy with what he’s doing.
