Chivu after the comeback against Fiorentina: “We didn’t lose our composure, we were rewarded”

A comeback in injury time, three points secured, and the words of Chivu at the InterTV microphones to close out an intense evening at San Siro. Inter beat Fiorentina 2-1: after the Viola took the lead through Jimenez in the second half, Thuram equalized in the 91st minute and Zielinski completed the comeback from the penalty spot in the 98th minute.

“They’re exhausted, not me,” began the Nerazzurri coach, before delving into the performance. “I would have rewarded this match today anyway, for attitude and for quality. We went behind to a wonder goal, but what mattered to me was not falling into the mental trap of not succeeding, of making mistakes. We didn’t lose our composure and kept doing what we had to do: we were rewarded for what we did.”

When asked about the difference compared to other comebacks, Chivu focused on mentality and collective contribution: “I think about our quality, the energy we put on the pitch. We have to be mentally prepared to accept certain situations and we are aware that we have to keep marching on. The guys who come on give us energy: we keep doing our best, what matters to us is maintaining our energy, our mentality, and not getting discouraged.”

The coach’s closing remarks summed up the approach he expects from the team: “We have to be good at reacting to events.”