Cristian Chivu has urged his Inter squad to embrace the moment and play with freedom in Wednesday night's Coppa Italia final against Lazio, though he remains adamant that the outcome won't define what has already been a remarkable 2025-26 campaign for the Nerazzurri.

The former Inter defender is on the verge of securing a domestic double in his first full season as a head coach. After taking the reins from Simone Inzaghi at the close of the 2024-25 campaign, Chivu guided Inter to their 21st Scudetto—a fitting follow-up to his initial senior coaching stint with Parma that began last February.

Inter enter the final with momentum, having already dispatched Lazio 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A just days ago. But Chivu was quick to dismiss any notion that Saturday's result gives his side an edge.

"These are two completely different matches," Chivu said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "There are risks when you play the same team so close together. You might think it's easy to replicate what we did on Saturday, but they'll come out with extra motivation. We need to stay humble, keep the right attitude, and remember we earned the Scudetto. We've fought all the way in the Coppa Italia, and we want to honor that properly. We'll be ready."

The 45-year-old also addressed the fitness of star forward Marcus Thuram, who remains a doubt for the final. "He's improving—he trained with us today. We'll have another day to assess him tomorrow."

While Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri emphasized the mental battle ahead for his squad, Chivu took a calmer approach. "Don't overthink it. We've earned our place here. Now it's about enjoying the occasion and playing our game."