Chivu wants more recovery time as Inter prepare to face Real Madrid

Christian Chivu says Inter Milan could have benefited from an extra day of rest before Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Real Madrid, but insists his players must adapt to the demands of the schedule.

Inter’s preparations have been complicated by the short gap between their Serie A match on Saturday and their opening game in the league phase of Europe’s elite competition. Chivu admitted he would have preferred more time for his squad to recover from what he described as an intense and high-quality encounter.

“Perhaps I would have chosen an extra day of rest after a demanding and beautiful match like Saturday evening’s game. But this is the fixture schedule and we have to get used to it,” Chivu said at his pre-match news conference.

Inter have established themselves as regular contenders in the Champions League in recent seasons, reaching the latter stages on several occasions. However, Chivu is aware that the revised competition format leaves little room for dropped points.

“In the last two editions, we all understood how many points were needed to have a chance of finishing the league phase in the top eight,” he said.

“We also understood what failing to qualify means. The play-off matches are difficult, and winning in the Champions League is never guaranteed.”

The top eight teams in the league phase qualify directly for the last 16, while teams outside those places face the added challenge of a play-off round. Chivu’s assessment is that Inter will need 16 points to be certain of securing a place among the leading eight, with 15 not enough.

“We need 16 points, and 15 points are not enough. We have to give our best. We must not become obsessed with getting points in particular matches,” he added.

Chivu responds to Mourinho

Chivu was also asked about comments from Jose Mourinho, who expressed surprise that Inter had not won the Champions League in recent years.

“The question that should be directed to him is whether he wants Inter to win,” Chivu replied.

The Romanian manager said Inter’s progress had been built over a sustained period through the quality of their coaches and the performances of their players.

“We have come a long way thanks to the competence of the managers and the ability of the players, who have shown important things over the past eight years,” he said.

“With ideas and work, through merit and ability, we are in a position where many people believe we are capable of achieving it.”

Chivu also rejected comparisons between his current side and the Inter team Mourinho led to European glory.

“I never compare different teams or different periods. This team is trying to achieve things and has already achieved beautiful things,” he said.

“It is a group of outstanding players who want to write pages of history themselves. They have played in two finals and lost them, but reaching two finals is never easy.”

“Every team lives in its own era. Comparisons are not right, but we want to write important pages.”

Inter’s latest challenge begins against Real Madrid, with Chivu calling on his players to compete at the level demanded by the Champions League and by the club’s achievements in recent years.

“The Champions League is harsh. Even the team that wins it has to overcome certain moments and needs a little luck. We simply want to be contenders, and to be worthy of the competition and of what the club has achieved in recent years.”