Inside Cristian Chivu’s Plan To Fix Inter Milan Second Half Drop-Offs | OneFootball

One of the early priorities for Cristian Chivu as Inter Milan coach has been to avoid the second half drop-offs that plagued the team last season.

Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, note how the Nerazzurri coach has focused on both physical training and psychological preparation.

One persistent criticism of Inter last season was their inconsistency within matches.

The feeling was that while the Nerazzurri could often start matches very well, they would not be able to keep it up over ninety minutes.

Moreover, the turning point often came right at halftime. Inter would not be able to come out and dominate matches from the start of the second half as they had in the first.

Cristian Chivu Focuses On Fixing Second Half Drop-Offs At Inter Milan

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 11: Head coach. Cristian. Chivu of. FC. Internazionale Milano after disembarking at Los Angeles International Airport for FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on June 11, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

According to the Corriere dello Sport, new Inter coach Cristian Chivu has identified two clear issues behind Inter’s pattern of poor second half displays.

Firstly, there is the matter of physical condition.

Increasing the intensity and amount of time spent in the gym and on the training pitch is one of the big themes of Chivu’s first few weeks on the Nerazzurri bench.

The Romanian’s hope is that this can give the players the condition and stamina to not miss a step, even as matches wear on.

However, Chivu is not just trying to make changes to the team physically.

As the Corriere note, the 44-year-old also sees the problem as a psychological one.

Therefore, the newspaper report, Chivu has worked on how the team handle pressure.

Last season, Inter rarely had any problem establishing dominance in matches. However, if they couldn’t wrap games up early, they would look less and less secure.

There have been echoes of that in Inter’s three group stage matches at the Club World Cup.

However, the Corriere note, the Nerazzurri’s 2-1 win over River Plate was a clear sign of improvements on that score.

Inter were in tough circumstances. The physicality of River meant that they struggled to really play their game.

However, the Nerazzurri never lost their patience. They played the match at their own tempo, and eventually broke through.