Chivu To Keep 3-5-2 Formation At Inter Milan To Start – But Could Switch To A Back Four | OneFootball

Cristian Chivu will keep the 3-5-2 formation at Inter Milan, but could switch to a back four as next season goes on.

This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

Inter Milan have decided on Cristian Chivu as their new coach.

And reportedly, a big part of the reason for this is that the Nerazzurri believe the Romanian will give the team tactical continuity.

Inter have been playing almost exclusively with a 3-5-2 shape for six seasons now. That was the shape that Antonio Conte used. And then, Simone Inzaghi kept the system the same.

Of course, there were big differences in the approaches of the two coaches. But the formation was the same throughout, with very few exceptions.

And it will be a similar story with Chivu. The 44-year-old will certainly bring his own ideas and style. But the shape that the players line up in will not change.

Cristian Chivu To Keep 3-5-2 Shape At Inter Milan – But Could Switch To Back Four

PARMA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of Parma Calcio, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Parma and Bologna at Stadio Ennio Tardini on February 22, 2025 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Cristian Chivu is certainly not going to implement any radical changes right away.

The Nerazzurri squad is currently build to play in a 3-5-2 formation. Therefore, the new coach will stick with that shape at the Club World Cup.

And even if there are some changes in the summer transfer window, the squad is still going to be made up primarily of the same players from the last couple seasons.

Therefore, the Gazzetta report, Chivu plans to start next season with a 3-5-2 shape. That is what the players know.

However, as the campaign goes on, the Romanian will have the chance to experiment.

In his time as Inter youth team coach, Chivu changed formations a fair bit. And he tended to favour systems with a back four. But what was important was that the system suit the team.

At Parma, Chivu got a lot of success out of using the 3-5-2 shape. That made the Gialloblu more defensively solid, something they definitely needed when he came in.

And the 44-year-old’s familiarity with that shape was a big part of why Inter turned to him to replace Simone Inzaghi.

However, that certainly does not mean that Inter won’t give Chivu the freedom to test out other formations.