Chivu Admits Inter Lucky to Beat Venezia: ‘I Wanted to Replace Everyone’ as Derby Looms

FolioPitch.com – 29 October 2026 | Inter coach Cristian Chivu made no attempt to disguise the shortcomings of his side’s performance on Wednesday night, as Chivu admits Inter lucky to beat Venezia I wanted to replace everyone following a fortuitous 2-0 away victory over the struggling Lagunari. The Nerazzurri were far from their fluent best at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, and they needed two own goals to see off a Venezia side battling to avoid relegation.

Speaking to Sky Sport after the final whistle, Chivu was candid about the difficulties his team encountered against a deep-lying opponent. “We lacked energy and were slow in certain aspects, and were a little surprised by their low block, even though we were expecting it,” the Inter boss explained. “We moved the ball slowly, but that can happen when you play every three days.”

The admission was striking for a coach whose side sits atop the Serie A table, yet it reflected a night in which Inter’s rhythm never truly materialised. “We were lucky to come away with the win today,” he continued. “I don’t know whether that’s what matters; what matters is that we stayed in the game and kept believing, but we were lucky too.”

Half-Time Frustration and a Desire for Sweeping Changes

The most revealing moment of Chivu’s post-match comments came when he reflected on his half-time intervention. Chivu admits Inter lucky to beat Venezia I wanted to replace everyone, and the coach elaborated on the temptation to overhaul his entire lineup during the interval. “I’m referring to a few players I had to sacrifice at half-time today to shake things up,” he said. “I would have liked to replace everyone.”

Such bluntness underlined the extent to which Inter’s first-half display frustrated their manager, even as the scoreline remained level. Chivu acknowledged that these are the kinds of fixtures every team must navigate over the course of a long campaign. “These are the kinds of games you get through the season, two or three a year, when you go into them without enough conviction,” he noted.

He was also generous in his praise of the opposition, recognising that Venezia’s organisation had disrupted Inter’s attacking patterns. “Credit to our opponents, they stopped us from making the right runs or creating one-on-one situations. We had some scares too. Provedel kept us in the game, and our experience and quality helped us find a way to win.”

Carlos Augusto Praised Despite Illness

One player who escaped the general criticism was Carlos Augusto, deployed as a left-sided defender in a three-man backline. The Brazilian played a part in Venezia’s second own goal and has now contributed four goals and two assists this season. “He’s doing well. Today, we picked him at left back to cope with Venezia’s pace. He wasn’t feeling great either; he has a stomach bug, but that’s no excuse. He always gives everything,” Chivu said.

“We’re very happy with him. We can use him in the back three or as a wing-back. He gives us energy, strength, pace, a few goals and a few assists, and we’re pleased.”

The victory leaves Inter on 25 points from nine league games, level at the summit with Lazio, and the coach insisted there is considerable room for growth. “We can and must improve. It’s never easy to begin a season like this and show that level of commitment,” he said. “You must never lose it after a season in which you’ve won. I have a group that never stops working or believing, and gives everything it has. We need to improve and find that extra spark to bring out the determination that so many games require. We can improve in many areas because the season is long, expectations are high, and what you did in the previous season often counts for little or nothing.”

Attention Turns to the Milan Derby

Next Saturday brings one of the season’s most significant fixtures, with Inter facing city rivals Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. Milan enter the contest on the back of a 4-2 defeat to Bologna at San Siro and sit on 18 points, adding extra spice to the encounter.

“We go into it with eight wins and one draw, as the team we are right now, knowing that it’s a derby,” Chivu concluded. “We’ll do our best to recover physically and mentally. We know derbies are stories of their own, and we’ll be ready.”

Once again, Chivu admits Inter lucky to beat Venezia I wanted to replace everyone, a statement that will linger as a warning that the league leaders cannot afford to rely on fortune when the stakes rise. The coach’s honesty may prove a galvanising force, but it also lays bare the inconsistency that could undermine Inter’s title ambitions if left unaddressed.

Conclusion

Inter’s win over Venezia will be remembered less for its quality than for the candour of their coach. Chivu’s admission that his side rode their luck, and that he would gladly have changed the entire team at half-time, signals both self-awareness and an awareness of the standards required at a club of Inter’s stature. With a derby against Milan on the horizon, the Nerazzurri must convert their manager’s frank assessment into renewed energy and conviction, or risk letting a promising start to the campaign slip away.