Inter 3-2 Napoli – Chivu: ‘It was a great advertisement for Italian football’

MILAN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Cristian Chivu, Manager of Internazionale, celebrates victory after the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu praised both sides for serving up a dramatic five-goal thriller at the San Siro on Saturday, as his side fought back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 victory over Napoli.

Goals from Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram completed an incredible second-half turnaround for the Nerazzurri, capped by an insane climax that had the home support in full voice.

Speaking to DAZN after the final whistle, Chivu expressed his delight with the spectacle and his team’s character under pressure.

“It was a great game to watch, entertaining, and a fantastic advertisement for Italian football,” Chivu stated, with quotes via FCInter1908.

“At 2-2, both teams went toe-to-toe. I saw chances at both ends, and in the end, we’re the ones celebrating because we managed to make it 3-2. We have to compliment Napoli because they’re a strong side, well-coached and filled with match-winners.”

Inter 3-2 Napoli – Chivu: ‘Our courage was rewarded’

Reflecting on his side’s slow start, Chivu admitted his players lost their focus briefly after conceding early: “We could have handled the first goal better, and conceding the second was a consequence of overthinking what went wrong on the opener. But I loved the reaction. The team didn’t lose its head and maintained its identity. Pulling it back to 2-1 gave us extra hope while knowing we couldn’t take wild risks. Ultimately, our courage was rewarded.”

Chivu also took time to applaud the officiating and the elevated tempo of the match: “I want to compliment the referees for how they managed the game. The play flows, it’s enjoyable, there’s no time-wasting, and players know if they go down easily they might be left behind. They are keeping a standard that everyone appreciates. I won’t talk about individual incidents because I’m simply not interested.”

Finally, the Romanian coach hit back at media criticism surrounding Inter’s big-match record:

“I’m fed up with what I was hearing last season. At that time, Inter was vulnerable to attacks on two fronts: direct head-to-head matches and Bodo/Glimt. For me, every game in Serie A is a head-to-head match. Negativity drives news and clicks, that’s part of the world we live in today. A bit of professional ethics from everyone would do Italian football good, especially because over the last three matches I’ve seen a very high level in Serie A.”

When asked about Federico Dimarco’s fitness ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash against Real Madrid, Chivu remained cautious: “I don’t know yet. We have two days, we’ll see.”