The words of coach Cristian Chivu on the eve of Inter-Bodo Glimt, the second leg of the Champions League playoffs. Below are his statements:
We already knew beforehand that it wouldn’t be easy due to the field and weather conditions. We weren’t able to adapt, but we knew the strength of this team and what good things they had done in the group stage matches. Unfortunately, we weren’t up to the task at certain moments and we hope this doesn’t happen again.
Lautaro’s absence? We have many leaders. Everyone who takes the field gives their contribution, feels involved and confident. They know their contribution is fundamental. I take pride in our work, our humility, and our growth.
These guys have the belief and have been showing it for the past three months. The defeats haven’t taken away our confidence and self-esteem, the work culture, and the trust a team must have. Losing a match or a battle doesn’t matter, what counts is always giving your best, match after match.
We don’t have the obligation, but the duty. We must take the field with confidence and knowing that if there is a team that can overturn such a result, it’s ours. We must not lose self-esteem and confidence. We must be ready from the start, not have the desperation to score immediately. We must manage the moments and the strength of this group and this team and what they are showing in the best way.
We know we lost 3-1 in the first leg, the league has nothing to do with it. If we want to have a chance to go through, we must not think about anything else.
There is nothing shameful in football. There is the work of a club. You don’t respect us by calling us that. We have great respect for what Bodo has done. We respect our opponents and we know what they have built with clear ideas. We have no shame, we know we have tried to be our best version.
We must not overturn anything in the game plan. We cannot afford to lose balance, confidence, or self-esteem. The match lasts 90 minutes, we can even concede a goal and try to overturn the result. Football is unpredictable and you need the calmness to do things and give everything you have. You need to find balance, personality, individual value. In a football match, you need all these ingredients.
San Siro effect? What is important for us is that these guys find the grass again.
I was someone who didn’t listen to the coach, because I relied on my own thoughts and responsibilities. I was more worried about being up to the task so as not to disappoint my teammates. If I had listened to the coach’s advice, maybe I would have had a better career, but I was stubborn and always thought I didn’t want to disappoint my teammates’ expectations. They know how important it is, they know it’s a risky match. Turning the match around won’t be easy, it’s an organized team that does things with intensity and determination.
A team that has built a season on continuity, I’m referring to the last few months. The statistics tell us that we have had important wins, we are first in many things. I don’t have to demand more, we have corrected the mistakes from the first leg, simplified our requests a bit. However, the context was so strange, for support, changes of direction, stops, managing the anxiety of not getting hurt. You always prepare a match with clarity and calm, aware of what we can do.
It has been a s****y week. It wasn’t easy to play with this mental situation. For Bastoni, it wasn’t easy to play in those mental and physical conditions, we achieved a great result on Saturday and now we are focused on tomorrow’s match.
