Inter, because the scudetto is the first objective

Journalist

December 30 – 12.03pm – MILANO

Lautaro’s scream is a deafening high pitch that shakes the championship with the notes of the goal. The match in Bergamo confirms that all the patrons of the Scudetto Opera will have to deal with the Argentine tenor, who has never been such a leader of his own theater company. And since in the director’s seat sits a gentleman who is much more astute than his experience on stage suggests, Cristian Chivu, Inter almost naturally regained the scene. It is too early to say that they will remain the most admired group even at the halfway point of the winter, after the 19 performances that will be completed by the recovery on January 14th against Lecce. But the reviews are all very positive. On Sunday night returning from Bergamo, an hour by bus to Appiano Gentile, there was great euphoria among the players. That already in recent weeks, as revealed by Lautaro himself, they had looked each other in the eyes, promising each other sparks that could stoke the fire of ambition. Inter ends 2025 and begins 2026 in first place: it couldn’t have gone better, but the important thing will be to be in front on 24 May to grab scudetto number 21.

inter trust

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It wasn’t the most brilliant of victories, the one against Atalanta. But it arrived at the right time, after the disappointment of the Saudi tour which had canceled the first prize of the season. Inter reacted with personality to the Super Cup defeat – it wasn’t a given – and responded with authority – it was even less simple – to Milan and Napoli who had won their matches, transferring all the pressure to the league leaders. Instead Chivu got the strategy and the substitutions right, earning further credit within the team.

abstinence

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The historic core of Inter chewed bitterly, in Riyadh, the taste of a year without titles. But having ended 2025 in the lead was an excellent consolation, even looking into perspective. For 19 months now the noticeboard in Viale della Liberazione, on the ninth floor of a building overlooking the Bosco Verticale, has been waiting for new friends with whom to share the glorious history of the club, also told through photos and t-shirts of a fascinating journey. For a team used to winning, it is not acceptable to come within a millimeter of the finish line and then realize that the result was not gratifying. And it is on this element, not so much technical as mental, that Chivu has been insisting for weeks in the Appiano locker room. There is still a certain tendency to lie down in hammocks when it is not yet time to rest because it threatens to rain outside. Here you are. Inter tends to doze off when the first sun rises as they free themselves from sloth, the sin of inaction, if they are tormented by the storm. “If we look at the numbers, it’s exactly like this – observed the coach in Bergamo – We lacked continuity in results. Sometimes it’s not easy to find energy when you play a lot and travel at night. We are working to improve this aspect. I don’t want to look for excuses but the calendar is really demanding”.

apnea

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January will be hellish, more than challenging. Also considering recovery, Inter will play 8 matches in 25 days in which they will also face Napoli at San Siro in the much-needed match against Antonio Conte. He will never be able to stick his nose out of water because he will also have to qualify for the Champions League round of 16 by taming opponents who are not at all docile: at home Arsenal, their counterparts at the top of the table in the Premier League, and away from Borussia Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga and always fearsome when they receive guests in their own garden.

grafts

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It is inevitable that Chivu is hoping for the market to mend the stretch marks in the squad: Luis Henrique, who is replacing Dumfries, has not yet convinced after seven games in a row as a starter that they should have reassured him. And even the defense, despite Acerbi’s imminent return, would need a needle and thread to be more resistant. President Marotta was clear on the subject on Sunday: it is not a period of large investments, we need to calibrate ourselves to an overall poor transfer window. But both he and director Ausilio hope to be able to sell a player (Frattesi) to free up space in Appiano’s drawers and at the same time finance a more functional entry for the second part of the season. Only in this way can Inter improve the quality of its fabric and deserve theallure of the favorite at the Opera of the scudetto.