Cristian Chivu acknowledged that “only the Crazy Inter can overturn a 2-0 deficit twice against Como in 10 days,” expressing confidence in the team’s ability to win both the Coppa Italia and Serie A.
The match was a repeat of their previous encounter on April 12, where Inter also came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3 in Serie A. This time, after falling behind 2-0 with goals from Martin Baturina and Lucas Da Cunha, Inter secured a 3-2 victory on the night and a win on aggregate thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu’s brace and an assist for Petar Sucic.
Chivu Recognizes the ‘Crazy Inter’ Spirit
“We have a squad that has been performing exceptionally well since the beginning of the season, and when called upon, they demonstrate their capabilities,” Chivu stated to Sport Mediaset regarding his substitutes. “Those who came off the bench today understood the critical moment and what needed to be done. Diouf, Sucic, and Pio Esposito all played their part and showed great courage. This is a team that is united in its desire to be competitive throughout the season.”
It was notable that Denzel Dumfries did not start and was not initially brought on to replace Luis Henrique; instead, Andy Diouf was deployed in that role. “Denzel has a minor fitness issue. He initially said he could manage for the final minutes, but he felt pain in his tendon. Given the circumstances, he indicated he was ready to play, and I am pleased to see the players willing to give their all for the club. We created problems for Como on the flanks, and Diouf performed well on both the right and left sides.”
The Nerazzurri are on course for a Double, leading Serie A by 12 points and now set to face either Lazio or Atalanta in the Coppa Italia Final on May 13.
“We earned our place here through hard work, positioning ourselves to dream and achieve our goals of winning the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia trophy,” added Chivu.
The fact that Inter managed to come back from a 2-0 deficit against Como within 90 minutes, both in Serie A on April 12 and again in the cup, is remarkable.
“We were well aware of Como’s strengths, and we managed to score multiple goals against a team with one of the best defensive records in Italy. These players care so deeply about Inter’s success that they fight this hard to turn games around. Overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Como twice in the span of 10 days – only the Crazy Inter could achieve that.”
This marks the return of the old moniker ‘Crazy Inter,’ which had been largely set aside during the tenures of Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi, who favored a more stable approach over such dramatic swings.
The only previous time Inter achieved the Coppa Italia-Serie A double was in 2010 under Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning season, with Chivu himself part of that squad. When asked about comparisons to “The Special One,” Chivu shrugged, “It’s because you in the media enjoy headlines. I am simply Cristian, and my sole responsibility is to these lads. I just try to do my job to the best of my ability for those who believed in me, for these wonderful lads, and hope to bring home some of our objectives.”
