Cristian Chivu acknowledged that Inter Milan faced the risk of “running into trouble” after missing several opportunities against Cagliari. He also commented on the contributions of John Stones and Curtis Jones to the team.

The Nerazzurri continued their flawless start to the Serie A season, although the match proved significantly more challenging than their previous 4-1 triumph over Monza.

Another decisive long-range effort from Hakan Calhanoglu broke the deadlock with a well-placed shot from outside the box, securing a 1-0 victory for Inter in Sardinia.

Despite firing 31 shots at goal, with seven on target and an expected goals (xG) score of 3.9, the team nearly allowed Cagliari to equalize late in the match.

Chivu Analyzes Inter’s Performance

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Internazionale looks on before the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

“These are your classic games where if you don’t kill them off, you can run into trouble,” Chivu stated in a post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia. “We got a bit chaotic and stretched out in the second half, we panicked all by ourselves. We created a lot, so if there are any regrets, it’s that we didn’t convert more of the many scoring opportunities.”

“It might not be ideal to suffer like this late on, but given our current fitness levels and the players just returning from the World Cup, we leave Sardinia with three points and some additional minutes for our players. Marcus Thuram managed 30 minutes, Jones received his debut, and Stones added more minutes.”

“The only way to improve fitness is to have them play football, so it requires time, but we are pleased with the result.”

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 23: Cristian Chivu, head coach of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and FC Internazionale at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Bologna, Italy.

There were three changes to the starting lineup from the team that defeated Monza, with Benjamin Pavard, Luis Henrique, and Petar Sucic all included, while Curtis Jones made his debut off the bench.

“Unfortunately, I had to adapt Pavard as a wing-back and put Bisseck in the middle because I realized there were issues at that moment; Bisseck made a fantastic block. I would’ve preferred to control the game more in those closing stages, similar to how we did in the first half and parts of the second half. During a moment of tension and confusion, adjustments are necessary from the coach,” Chivu explained.

“Juventus and Roma lost here last season, so Cagliari is a difficult opponent for everyone. We certainly haven’t had an easy time here either.”

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: John Stones of Internazionale comes on as a substitute while Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Internazionale, reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Stones and Jones provided added experience to the team, while Djed Spence is still waiting for his debut following his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.

“They possess quality and experience from clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool, so dealing with pressure is second nature to them. They need to regain their fitness levels, with John requiring a bit more confidence to adjust to our style of play, but I have no complaints about their attitude. They bring passion and enthusiasm to the squad, so we are happy to have them on board.”

This transfer strategy appears to focus more on acquiring players with strong character rather than solely on specific skills.

TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, gives the team instructions during the Serie A match between Torino FC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on April 26, 2026 in Turin, Italy.

“We lost five players, so we had to bring in replacements,” Chivu explained. “We faced situations where we lost Palestra and Khalaili, so we had to assess our needs. Diouf showed positive progress in that role, leading us to pursue a more defensive player who can operate on both the right and left.”

“In midfield, we had been thinking about Curtis Jones for a while, appreciating his intensity, determination, and composure on the ball. We have talented midfielders, and my challenge is to manage them effectively and keep everyone satisfied. That is particularly challenging for a coach with a competitive team.”

“For now, we need to focus on getting players fit and ensuring they enjoy coming to training every Monday, which can be a tough task.”

Inter will kick off their Champions League campaign against Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the famed Bernabeu, where Chivu played during Inter’s treble-winning season in 2010. Reflecting on the upcoming schedule, Chivu noted, “I thought about Napoli because I will have to face them consecutively. It’s the Champions League; we aim to be competitive and understand the number of points required to stay out of the play-offs,” he added with a smile.

Cristian Chivu admits Inter risked ‘running into trouble’ after wasting chances against Cagliari, while he explains what John Stones and Curtis Jones bring to the side.

The Nerazzurri maintained their 100 per cent start to the Serie A season, even if it was a far tougher task than the 4-1 victory over Monza.

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It took another Hakan Calhanoglu snapshot from outside the penalty area to break the deadlock, this one more about precision than power, but it was enough to take all three points from Sardinia.

Considering there were 31 shots on goal, seven of them on target and an xG of 3.9, they still left the door open for Cagliari to almost snatch an equaliser late on.

Chivu saw Inter good and bad

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Internazionale looks on before the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

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“These are your classic games where if you don’t kill them off, you can run into trouble,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia.

“We got a bit chaotic and stretched out in the second half, we panicked all by ourselves. We created a lot, so if there are any regrets, it’s that we didn’t convert more of the many scoring opportunities.

“It might not be good to suffer like this late on, but considering our fitness levels and the players who just came back from the World Cup, we leave Sardinia with three points and some more minutes in the legs of our players. Marcus Thuram managed 30 minutes too, Jones had his first, Stones adds some more minutes.

“The only way to get those fitness levels up is to get them playing football, so it takes time, but we’re pleased with the result.”

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 23: Cristian Chivu head coach of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and FC Internazionale at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

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There were three changes to the starting XI from the side that beat Monza last week, as Benjamin Pavard, Luis Henrique and Petar Sucic stepped in, while Curtis Jones received his debut off the bench this evening.

“Unfortunately, I had to adapt Pavard as a wing-back and put Bisseck in the middle, because I realised there were issues at that moment, then Bisseck made a great block. I would’ve preferred to control the game better in those closing stages, the way we did in the first half and some of the second, but during a moment of tension and confusion, the coach has to make adjustments.

“Juve and Roma lost here last season, so Cagliari is tough for everyone, and we haven’t exactly had a walk in the park here either.”

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: John Stones of Internazionale comes on as a substitute as Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Internazionale reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

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Stones and Jones came on to bring a little more experience to the side, while Djed Spence still needs time to make his debut after the transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.

“They have quality and experience, coming from Manchester City and Liverpool, so playing with a certain type of pressure is their bread and butter. They need to rediscover their fitness levels, John a little more courage to adapt to our style of football, but I have no complaints about their attitude. They put their soul and enthusiasm into it, so we are pleased to have them with us.”

It seems as if the Inter transfer strategy was aimed less at characteristics and more towards bringing character to the side.

TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, gives the team instructions during the Serie A match between Torino FC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on April 26, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

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“We lost five players, so we had to replace them,” noted Chivu.

“There were situations where we lost Palestra and Khalaili, so we had to understand what was needed. Diouf gave good signs of improvement in that role, so we decided to seek a more defensive profile who can also play on the right or left.

“In midfield, we’d been thinking about Curtis Jones for a while, for his intensity, determination and the calm he has on the ball. We have a group of great midfielders, and it’s my job to put them together well and keep everyone happy. That is the hardest part for a coach with a competitive squad.

“Right now we need to keep getting players to reach fitness and have smiles on their faces every Monday, and that is not easy.”

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Inter will begin their Champions League campaign this season away to Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the iconic Bernabeu, the coach of the 2010 Treble with Chivu in defence. So what did he think when seeing that schedule?

“I thought about Napoli, because I’m going to have to play those two in a row. It’s the Champions League, we want to be competitive and also know more or less the number of points we need to avoid the play-offs,” smiled Chivu.