Cristian Chivu has done it again—this time from the sidelines. The Inter Milan legend added a fourth Serie A title to his collection on Sunday, but this one came with a twist: it was his first as a head coach. In his debut full season managing any team, let alone one of Europe's elite clubs, Chivu proved that his winning touch isn't limited to the pitch.
When Inter hired the 45-year-old last summer, many raised an eyebrow. His only top-level experience before this? A brief, emergency stint at Parma, where he kept the struggling side in Serie A after taking over in February last year. Beyond that, his coaching résumé was built in Inter's youth academy—a role he'd left months earlier. So when Simone Inzaghi departed, the smart money was on Como's Cesc Fabregas. But Como refused to release their man, and Inter turned to Chivu.
What followed has been nothing short of remarkable. Few predicted such a confident charge to the Scudetto, especially given the circumstances. Chivu inherited a team still reeling from a brutal 5-0 Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain, a defeat complicated by pre-match whispers of Inzaghi heading to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, rivals Napoli and AC Milan loaded up in the summer transfer window, while Inter's starting XI looked nearly identical to the one that ran out of gas in last season's final weeks.
Yet here they are: champions again. For a man already etched into Inter lore as a key figure in Jose Mourinho's historic 2010 treble—Serie A, Champions League, and Italian Cup—this title cements his legacy in a new light. Over six seasons in Milan, Chivu played 168 times, winning three straight Serie A titles and the 2010 Club World Cup. His career in Italy began at Roma, where he lifted the Italian Cup in his final season under Luciano Spalletti, alongside the legendary Francesco Totti. He joined Roma four years earlier under Fabio Cappello, who was visibly moved in October when he saw the work Chivu had done to reshape Inter's fortunes.
From treble-winning defender to title-winning coach—Cristian Chivu is proving that some winners never stop winning.