Chivu: “In the Champions League, head and heart overcome fear”
After beating Shakhtar, the Inter coach discussed European tension and the importance of emotions in decisive matches.
Cristian Chivu commented on Inter’s Champions League victory over Shakhtar, secured on Wednesday, October 21 with a 1-0 scoreline. After the match, the Nerazzurri coach focused mainly on the mental side of European competition, which can increase pressure and fear even for the most experienced teams.
The coach acknowledged that the Champions League can create a kind of psychological hesitation, a nervousness that affects decisions and makes difficult moments even more complicated. In Chivu’s view, technical quality alone is not enough: on certain nights, clarity and emotional strength can decide the balance. Head and heart, working together, can therefore become crucial in achieving a hard-fought victory.
For Inter, the win over Shakhtar is the third positive result in the last three official matches, following the 4-3 defeat against Club Brugge and the 3-1 victory in Bologna. Chivu’s team now returns its focus to Serie A: on Sunday, October 25 at 12:30, Inter will host Fiorentina, before facing Venezia and Milan.