Chivu faces harsh criticism from a legendary former player: “His Inter is lackluster and off its game”

In *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Fabio Capello analyzes the performance of Cristian Chivu’s Inter and does not hold back in his criticism of the Nerazzurri. Even against Shakhtar Donetsk, according to the former coach, the team struggled to get into the game, playing a lackluster first half and only picking up the pace after an hour of play: “Playing well for just half an hour isn’t enough,” is Capello’s message, as he points the finger at what has become a recurring problem. In fact, Inter once again approached the first half of the match with little intensity, failing to impose their style of play or put pressure on their opponents.

““Once again, even against Shakhtar Donetsk, Chivu’s Inter approached the first half at a leisurely pace, consistently below tempo and without pressing, managing just one shot on goal,” observes Capello, highlighting the Nerazzurri’s difficulties in creating chances and maintaining an aggressive attitude.

The former coach makes no secret of his disappointment with what he saw in the first hour of play: “Last night I saw a poor Inter side, lackluster until the 60th minute.” The turning point, according to his analysis, came with the substitutions made by Chivu, which changed the team’s attitude: “From that moment on, we saw more Nerazzurri players getting involved, and this inevitably led to a different Inter,” concludes Capello.

This assessment therefore highlights an issue that Chivu needs to address: Inter must maintain consistency over the full ninety minutes, avoiding giving opponents a first half characterized by a slow pace and insufficient pressure.