Chivu: Early Second-Half Goal Settled Us, Lautaro Doesn't Need My Help

Inter coach Cristian Chivu admitted his team needed 45 minutes to "shake off the rust" in their Serie A season opener. However, he expressed satisfaction with his side's performance in the second half of their 4-1 victory over Monza.

"We have to give credit to our opponents, who caused us some difficulties. We tried to stick to our game plan, but there was a bit of rust to shake off. In the second half, we found more fluidity thanks to the early goal, which gave us the necessary momentum," Chivu explained.

"We always need to find the right solution, and we must try to do that together with the players. The players who were at the World Cup integrated immediately, even sooner than expected. That's the most pleasing thing a coach can see," the Romanian emphasized.

"Thuram is still preparing. He had some issues at the World Cup, and we all know that. Marcus is available, but not yet ready to play minutes. He's an intelligent guy, and we're both working hard to get him back to his best form," Chivu commented.

The coach also spoke about Lautaro Martinez, who had a disappointing end to his World Cup campaign with Argentina, and whose name has been linked with a move to Barcelona in the past week.

"There are many situations a coach needs to understand. We shouldn't forget how the World Cup ended for him. I try to see the person first. I also try to help the players, although Lautaro doesn't need my help because he's part of Inter's history and is a great person," Cristian Chivu stated.