Thus the Nerazzurri coach after the semi-final lost against Bologna: “Lautaro on the bench? It was the eighth match in about twenty days. We created opportunities, but if you don’t score goals you get to penalties and there it’s a lottery”
The mockery in the desert is a set of grotesque episodes that would inspire a companion novel: a penalty awarded and found by VAR, another canceled after Chiffi had whistled it, three unwatchable shots in the final round. A diabolical combination. And to think that this is the first draw of the season for Inter, after 16 wins and 5 defeats. But it is the worst result because it puts the team on the first dead end: with this superficiality you don’t get far. It’s annoying to quickly leave the Super Cup, which the club cared about and Cristian Chivu cared about. But above all, the management of moments in the matches is worrying: it wasn’t enough for Inter to take the lead after a minute and pennies to keep Bologna’s bland reaction at bay. Bisseck caused the third penalty of his unfortunate series. And from then on the errors in front of goal, combined with Ravaglia’s skill, led to the elimination. Not very fair, according to what the teams expressed in this semi-final, but deserved by those who could and should have avoided it. However, Chivu doesn’t overdramatize: “I have nothing to reproach the boys for or to regret anything. I saw excellent things, especially in the second half. A great match against a strong opponent. Unfortunately, when you don’t throw the ball in, it can happen that you don’t win. And when you go to penalties you’re going to lose.”
claim
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He does not regret having kept Lautaro, who played only twenty minutes, and the pillars Akanji and Calhanoglu on the bench: “We have important ambitions and we are expected by an intense cycle of commitments in January. We cannot afford to lose players lightly. But I would never have made management choices linked to the possible final. I simply had to think that the team was coming from a cycle of 8 games in 26 days. And someone had to rest, especially in a group of 25 valid players who deserve to be exploited.” Chivu obviously doesn’t point the finger at the penalty takers who failed in their mission: “That’s a lottery. For me, it counts who raises their arm and goes to shoot, it’s an indication of personality. But the penalty is an emotion, it can’t be trained. And you can make mistakes.” Pio Esposito was about to come in to shoot him, but he instead remained on the bench. Like Calhanoglu, a specialist in the subject: “I preferred not to bring in a penalty taker coldly. Especially Calha, who was coming off an injury. You can’t see certain things from the outside but I have to preserve everyone’s health.”
fair play
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During the match Chivu often complained to the fourth official. Deputy Kolarov lost his temper when Chiffi awarded the penalty for Bologna after the intervention of the VAR. But in the post, as always, the coach’s words are relaxed: “I’m not interested in talking about the referees, the VAR was introduced specifically to help them. We just have to think about ourselves, about how to improve, to start again immediately, because we have the possibility.” Josep Martinez is the positive note of the evening: “Not just him. The squad is full of excellent professionals who can give us great satisfaction. Sometimes it just takes a little time to understand it.”
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