Chivu says Inter are finally back in business after a three-week pause, and the immediate headline is that Spence will be called up for Inter Parma after two months away from the pitch. It is a useful early-season marker for a squad being managed carefully after international duty, with Chivu stressing balance, fitness and flexibility rather than forcing players through risk.
The Inter head coach made clear that the long wait has been felt, but the restart also comes with a full squad and a need to judge each player’s workload properly. That matters after national-team minutes, because some players are returning with extra fatigue while others have had interrupted preparation, including Sucic, who lost a week because of the birth of his son.
Chivu: the wait is over
“L’attesa è stata lunga, ma finalmente si ricomincia,” Chivu said, summing up the mood as Inter prepare to resume. He also explained that the club cannot simply ignore what players have done with their countries.
“Non possiamo non guardare i minutaggi fatti in nazionale e metterli a rischio fisicamente, ma abbiamo giocatori abituati a giocare ogni tre giorni: bisogna capire momento, avversario ed equilibrio di squadra,” he said. That is the central challenge for Inter Parma: not just selection, but managing the physical and tactical load across a squad that has to keep moving quickly.
Spence is back in the picture
The clearest team-news development is Spence. Chivu said he has been training with the group without restrictions for a week, but also pointed out that he has been absent from the field for two months. Even so, the verdict was positive and direct: he is available and will be called up.
“Spence si allena con noi, senza vincoli, da una settimana, però non possiamo dimenticare che da due mesi è assente dai campi: è a disposizione, sarà convocato e, soprattutto, ci fa piacere vedere il suo sorriso,” Chivu said. That suggests Inter are easing him back rather than rushing him, but the call-up alone is an important step before Parma.
Chivu also explained that he personally shaped the timing around the player’s return to group training. “In Turchia lo hanno attaccato perché non è andato a vedere a Bologna i suoi compagni di nazionale, ma ho deciso io: ho messo l’allenamento il pomeriggio, era il suo primo in gruppo e ci tenevo che ci fosse, per questo non gli ho dato il giorno libero,” he said.
No room for the anti-Inter talk
If the squad management is one part of the story, the wider narrative around Inter is another. Chivu pushed back hard on the idea of an anti-Inter campaign and said it is too early in October for that kind of conversation.
“Ma perché si parla sempre di anti-Inter? Perché non parliamo di anti-Roma? O anti-Como? Noi sappiamo chi siamo, non serve che gli altri ci ricordino che abbiamo la medaglia al collo. Noi sappiamo solo lottare, ma è troppo presto per parlare di certe cose, di chi è l’anti di chi. Siamo solo ad ottobre,” he said. It was a clear attempt to keep Inter focused on performance rather than outside labels.
That same tone carried into his comments on individual players. Chivu said there is no “case” around Sucic, praising both his seriousness and his humility after a disrupted spell. He also highlighted Calha’s importance, while showing curiosity about what Stankovic can offer in a more advanced role.
The common thread is simple enough: Inter are restarting, but nothing is being left to chance. With Parma next, Chivu is managing fitness, rhythm and roles carefully, and Spence’s return to the squad adds another useful option at exactly the right time.
