Inter Milan Boss Makes Superb Jose Mourinho Claim Ahead of Real Madrid Game

Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu spoke to the media at the news conference ahead of the match between his team and Real Madrid. This match will mark the debut of both teams in the competition, so both will seek victory and start with 3 points in the bag. Chivu, who was coached by Jose Mourinho (now Real Madrid's coach), had only good words to say about the Portuguese.

He began by mentioning: "Mourinho is a special person, and I was lucky to find him. He helped me in a difficult moment, and I will never forget it. He is very good at immersing himself in the reality of the club he represents and transmitting his mentality. He is a winner. There are few like him in the world. He has already proved it here, but also in other places. Real Madrid will have a great season; I am sure."

He was asked if he thinks this Madrid already has the Portuguese's stamp (remembering that he has been back with the Merengue team for less than three months); he commented: "It is very early; beginnings are not easy for anyone. New players too. It is stressful; playing at this club is not easy, and I think it has been a balanced start. They did not deserve to lose because they played well. Sometimes you do not take the result home, but they know how to do it."

Finally, after an exhausting weekend, in which the Nerazzurri had a demanding match against Napoli, which they came back from after trailing 0-2, the coach mentioned that, after this, they would have preferred to have an extra day of rest before their Champions League debut.

"I would have chosen one more day of rest after a difficult match. The calendar is what it is, and we have to get used to it. We have understood what needs to be done and what it means not to qualify. In the Champions League, you can never take the result for granted," he concluded.

Now, both teams will arrive with significant absences for the match. Inter will not be able to count on their best playmaker and Serie A MVP from the previous season, Federico Dimarco, after suffering a mild knee sprain in Saturday's match against Napoli.

While on the Merengue side, Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler will have to serve the suspensions they carry over from last season. Because of this, both Mourinho and Chivu will have to find alternatives for this demanding match.