Chivu Confident in Inter’s Serie A Title Defence: ‘We’re the Team to Beat in 2026-27, Let the Directors Do Their Jobs’

FolioPitch.com – 08 August 2026 | Cristian Chivu, the head coach of Inter, has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to defend their Serie A title in the upcoming 2026-27 season. Speaking ahead of Inter’s pre-season friendly against Juventus, Chivu stated that his team is still the ‘team to beat’ in the league, despite the challenges they may face in the new campaign.

Inter will begin their defence of the Serie A title with a visit from Monza in just over a fortnight, on August 22. However, they still have a pair of friendlies to get through first, including a Derby d’Italia against Juventus in Perth on Saturday. Chivu believes that his team will be well-prepared for the new season, despite still missing a few pieces in their squad.

‘We’re still missing a few pieces, and we still have a few weeks to get ourselves into the best possible shape for the opening league match,’ Chivu said. ‘The most important thing so far is that we’ve had very few physical issues. At the moment, that’s the most encouraging aspect, and we’re happy about that.’

When asked about Inter’s biggest rivals for the Serie A title in 2026-27, Chivu replied: ‘I haven’t quite worked that one out yet. It’s the usual teams, the ones who want to make life difficult for the reigning Italian champions. We’re the team to beat.’

Chivu also addressed the issue of Inter’s transfer activity, stating that the team needs to bring in players who can fit into an already close-knit group that has achieved great things. He urged for calm and said that there is still plenty of time to get more deals over the line.

‘We’ve been calm from the start, and we know the quality we have in the squad. We need to raise the level and bring in players who can fit into an already close-knit group that has achieved great things. We’ll do our best to complete a puzzle that, at the moment, is still missing a few pieces,’ Chivu said.

In a separate question, Chivu was asked whether Inter have a ‘deadline’ to bring in a new right wing-back following the departure of Denzel Dumfries. He replied: ‘We haven’t set a deadline. We know we need to be patient. We’d made our choices, but different circumstances meant those moves didn’t materialise. We’re working to find someone who can bring greater quality and experience. We’ll let our sporting directors do their job.’

Chivu also spoke about his expectations for Inter’s players against Juventus on Saturday. He said: ‘We need minutes. The best thing we can do is give everyone as many minutes as possible. I don’t have a fixed starting XI; I rotated throughout last season as well. There aren’t eleven guaranteed starters. The choices depend on the situation, the opposition, the number of games in a short space of time and the players’ fitness.’

In conclusion, Chivu’s confidence in Inter’s ability to defend their Serie A title is palpable. Despite still missing a few pieces in their squad, he believes that his team is well-prepared for the new season. With a strong squad and a clear plan in place, Inter are definitely the team to beat in 2026-27.