Inter coach Chivu scoops coach of the year award
Cristian Chivu's stunning first season with Serie A was acknowledged as he was named the division's manager of the year on Friday.
Chivu claimed Inter's first Serie A title since 2023-2024 after a 1-0 win over Parma earlier this month, before beating Lazio in the Coppa Italia nine days ago.
In doing so, Chivu became the first manager since Jose Mourinho in 2009-2010 to win the domestic double for Inter, although the latter did win the UEFA Champions League in that season.
The Inter boss was rewarded for his accolades by being announced as the Serie A coach of the season ahead of his side's final league match against Bologna on Sunday (AEST).
He was not the only person from Inter to pick up an award, with Lautaro Martinez named the best striker and Federico Dimarco named the division's best player in 2025-2026.
"Cristian Chivu's season at the helm of Inter has been simply extraordinary," Inter Milan chief executive Luigi De Siervo said.
"In his first year at the helm of a professional team since the start of the season, Chivu immediately demonstrated the winning DNA he possessed as a player.
"He guided his players to play solid yet proactive football, which led the Nerazzurri to finish the season averaging more than two goals per game and a margin of around 30 goals over the second-placed team.
"It took Chivu just 48 Serie A games as a coach to become Italian champion – second only to [Jose] Mourinho in the three-point era – and by adding the Coppa Italia to the Scudetto, he became the only manager to achieve this historic double in his first season at Inter.
"These numbers and records confirm Cristian Chivu's rightful place among the great coaches of our Serie A."
Martinez claimed his accolade after netting 17 goals in 29 Serie A appearances, more than any other player, while he also chipped in with six assists for his team-mates.
Dimarco, meanwhile, ended the league campaign with a division-high 17 assists. Across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions, only Luis Diaz, Julian Ryerson (both 18), Bruno Fernandes (21) and Michael Olise (28) managed more than the Italian.
The pair will be hoping to end their campaigns with a flourish against a Bologna side that has seen its European hopes ended over the past couple of weeks, as it sits eighth in Serie A, three points behind Atalanta.
