Cristian Chivu has made the build-up to Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk about responsibility rather than excuses. Inter go into Wednesday's league phase match with no points from their first two Champions League games, while Shakhtar Donetsk arrive with four from two and a more comfortable mood.

Chivu has been even clearer than that. "I'm to blame for everything that doesn't work," he said, and he also stressed, "I never point the finger at my players. I take responsibility for what happens on the pitch." The Italian club have lost seven of their last eight Champions League fixtures, which is the kind of run that forces a manager to frame the problem around himself first.

Inter's Champions League reset

Wednesday's game is the third instalment of the league phase, and Inter need a response quickly. Their 0-point start leaves them 29th in the table, a flat opening that sits awkwardly next to the club's usual European expectations.

Chivu also pushed back on the idea that every defeat should be treated as a crisis. "We’re not perfect and we don’t want to be called perfect," he said, before adding that he does not want every Inter loss to become "some sort of national drama." It is a fair point, but the performance level now has to answer it on the pitch.

Turan's view of Shakhtar and Calhanoglu

Across the tunnel, A. Turan is selling a side that believes in its own structure. "We have a system in which we believe, we want to have control of the ball and react immediately if we lose it," he said, and he also noted that European travel for Shakhtar averages 14 to 16 hours, with some trips ending without a return home.

Turan still spoke about Inter with real respect. "The energy I see on the pitch in Inter tells me about a very strong bond between Chivu and his players," he said, adding that "This Inter can win at every level in which it competes."

There was also a personal layer to the meeting. Turan called Hakan Çalhanoğlu "more than a former teammate" and "a brother," while praising him as a leader who controls the rhythm under pressure. Calhanoglu has only two Champions League appearances this season, but the reunion at San Siro gives the fixture a sharper edge than a normal league phase night.

Wednesday's match at San Siro is still about the result first. For Inter, though, the first task is simple enough, stop the European slide and show that Chivu's self-criticism comes with a response.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →