Cristian Chivu, Inter’s head coach, confessed his team was just outworked and “not competitive” enough as the Nerazzurri were eliminated from the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt. The Italian giants were unable to overcome a 3-1 first-leg deficit, suffering a 5-2 aggregate defeat after losing 2-1 on a tense night at San Siro. Despite having extended spells of possession, the hosts lacked the cutting edge and physical intensity to break down the tenacious Norwegian visitors.
The setback is a huge low point for a club that had made two finals in three years under previous management, but Chivu was open about the physical differences between the two teams. The Inter manager observed that Bodo/Glimt, whose domestic league is presently in the off-season, appeared far fresher than his squad, which has been struggling on numerous fronts. Chivu cited the unrelenting schedule as a major cause, stating that maintaining top levels is tough when games in Serie A and the Coppa Italia come thick and fast.
Speaking after the shock result, the former defender was clinical in his assessment of why the Nerazzurri fell short. “We tried everything we could from the start,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia. “We were up against a very well-organised team with a low defensive block, keeping 10-11 players behind the ball. Probably the fact we didn’t break the deadlock gave them extra psychological comfort, knowing we needed to score two goals just to get it to extra time.”
The absence of key figures Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu proved critical as Inter struggled to convert their dominance into goals. “Our objective was to be competitive, we always said that, and we never intended to think too far in the future for things we are unable to control,” the coach added. “Unfortunately, we were not able to be competitive in the Champions League. We had started well and won four games in a row, then unfortunately we dropped a few points despite good performances. It’s a high level here, if you don’t manage to convert your chances and make the right choices, you will be punished at the first mistake.”
While Bodo/Glimt have been solely focused on their European campaign, Inter have been fighting to maintain a 10-point lead at the top of Serie A. Chivu refused to blame his players’ effort, instead highlighting the physical advantages held by the opposition. “I have nothing to reproach my players for, as they tried everything they could with all the energy they had, and in the second half Bodo had a lot more energy than we did,” the coach continued. “We gave all that we had, tried to break the deadlock in every way, but then after the restart they scored two goals.”
The discrepancy in match fitness was a recurring theme in Chivu’s post-match analysis. “There is a lot of disappointment, as unfortunately we were against a side that had a lot more energy than us, they were very well-organised, knew that they had to do after the 3-1 first leg result and did it brilliantly. We can only congratulate Bodo/Glimt, they are a team who deserve to be in the next round. It’s hard to find the energy when you play every three days. I cannot ask for more from my lads, as they tried everything this evening. If we’d managed to break the deadlock, it might’ve sparked more enthusiasm, but it was so difficult when they defended with 10 men.”
