Inter Milan eliminated from the Champions League: A harsh lesson for Cristian Chivu

Coach Cristian Chivu has faced backlash from the Italian football community following Inter’s defeats to Bodo/Glimt in both play-off matches, resulting in an early Champions League exit. Yet, this was his debut season managing at the European level, so criticism should be tempered.

On live television near the end of Inter’s 1-2 home loss to Bodo/Glimt early this morning, Chivu appeared decades older than his 45 years. He looked on the verge of tears. Perhaps never before in his coaching career has Chivu felt so helpless.

The steep price of complacency

Right after the 1-3 defeat in Norway, doubts were raised about Chivu’s decisions when he did not field his strongest lineup, resting two of his best-performing players recently, Federico Dimarco and Piotr Zielinski. Dimarco remained on the bench the entire match, while Zielinski only came on in the 76th minute when Inter was already trailing 1-3 and the opponent had effectively closed all escape routes. Supporters argued that Chivu was justified in resting key players on the hard artificial turf covered in snow (Lautaro Martinez’s injury is a clear example), but most believed the coach underestimated his rivals. Despite recent wins over Man City and Atletico Madrid, Bodo/Glimt remains a modest name compared to Benfica, the opponent Inter was fortunate to avoid in the draw.

Over the past five weeks, Inter has been unable to do without Dimarco, while Zielinski has scored crucial goals propelling the team forward in the Scudetto race. The second leg confirmed what Inter looks like when starting with their full strength, but unfortunately, it was too late. The significant advantage from the first leg, which could have been different if Chivu had not been complacent, allowed Bodo/Glimt to control every situation. Dimarco and Zielinski were the most active players for Inter, but they couldn’t change the outcome alone. Despite 30 shots, 16 corners, 71% possession, and 602 passes on natural grass in front of over 70,000 passionate fans, it all proved meaningless. Meanwhile, Manuel Akanji’s fatal back pass leading to the first goal symbolized the shaken mentality of the Nerazzurri players.