Chivu happy with Inter progress as Atalanta looms
Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu admits his team is still far from perfect, but he does feel it is back on the right track ahead of its final Serie A fixture of 2025, against Atalanta.
The Nerazzurri visit New Balance Arena on Monday (AEDT), knowing a victory will ensure it remains top of Serie A at the turn of the year.
It enters this weekend's fixtures leading the Scudetto race with 33 points, although AC Milan, Napoli and Roma are all within three points of Chivu's side.
The former defender initially endured some teething problems upon taking the reins, with Inter suffering a surprise defeat to Fluminense at the FIFA Club World Cup then losing two of its first three Serie A fixtures in August.
It was also defeated by Bologna in the semi-finals of the Supercoppa Italiana last week, but as 2026 draws closer, Chivu is content with the progress his players are making.
"I never like to talk about myself," Chivu said at his pre-match press conference.
"After the end of last season, there were a difficult few months at the beginning of this campaign, but we've done everything we can to put ourselves back on the right track.
"There are ups and downs, and we are not perfect. We're trying to improve, we've done some things well and others less well.
"We are trying to remove certain defects on a collective and individual level. The team has to keep the same ambition."
Atalanta is ninth on the table, seven points adrift of the top four, having endured a difficult start to the campaign under former Southampton boss Ivan Juric.
Juric was sacked after just 15 games at the helm in November, but his successor, Raffaele Palladino, has overseen an immediate improvement, winning six of his first eight matches in charge.
"Games against Atalanta have always been tough. They built well under [Gian Piero] Gasperini and tried to maintain that same mentality that won them the [UEFA] Europa League," Chivu continued.
"They've found continuity under Raffaele. It's never easy against Atalanta with their intensity, verticality and man-to-man defence. We have to be brave, win the second balls, and try to be solid."
