Inter: Comeback Doesn’t Ease Discontent; Specific Request Made for Chivu

Monday night’s come-from-behind victory over Udinese put Inter back at the top of the standings, tied with Roma, but it did not dispel the clouds gathering around Josep Martinez. The goalkeeper is going through a difficult spell, and after his costly mistakes in Madrid during the Champions League, he found himself, despite himself, making a couple of significant errors against Udinese as well.

For many fans, the breaking point remains that Champions League night at the Bernabéu: an overly daring dribbling attempt, Real Madrid’s pressing that overwhelmed him, and Valverde’s second goal that dashed the Nerazzurri’s hopes. The incident went viral on social media and sparked a fierce debate, putting Martinez under the microscope for Monday’s match. Against Udinese, however, the start was a series of misfortunes: first, he failed to come out for the cross that led to Udinese’s opening goal, then his hesitation on Ekkelenkamp’s touch that made it 0-2.

The comeback that began shortly thereafter salvaged the evening for Inter, but it did little to quell the discontent. Post-match discussions were heated, especially on social media, where an increasingly frequent call is being made to Chivu: to give Martinez a break—a period of rest to regain his composure and clarity—and rely instead on Ivan Provedel, for whom the club invested 3 million euros to sign him from Lazio. Many argue that Martinez, in his first season as a starter, may need a breather, especially after two mistakes so close together.

So far, Chivu has stood his ground: “What matters to me is how he reacts, and he’s reacted like a great goalkeeper,” he said after the match against Real Madrid, referring to Martinez. Now, however, more mistakes have followed, and despite the three points, a segment of the Nerazzurri fanbase is very clear in its demands to the coach—especially since the schedule calls for a top-of-the-table clash at Roma next Saturday: any slip-up in such a context could make all the difference.