Cristian Chivu Delivers Historic Double as Inter Complete First Domestic Double Since 2010
Cristian Chivu guided Inter to a 2-0 Coppa Italia victory over Lazio on May 13, 2026, completing a Serie A and Coppa Italia double for the club. (bbc.co.uk)
Chivu seals double with Coppa Italia triumph
Inter Milan secured the Coppa Italia with a 2-0 win at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, adding the cup to the Scudetto the club had already clinched earlier in May. (gazzetta.it)
The victory completes a domestic double for Inter — their first since the club’s 2010 treble — and marks a milestone for Cristian Chivu in his first full season as first-team coach. (bbc.co.uk)
How the final unfolded
Inter opened the scoring early when a defensive error from Lazio led to an own goal, putting pressure on the hosts to chase the match. (tg24.sky.it)
Late in the game Inter’s captain Lautaro Martínez doubled the advantage to seal the result, and the Nerazzurri controlled the closing stages to ensure there was no comeback. (gazzetta.it)
From helmeted player to double-winning coach
Cristian Chivu’s return to the Inter dugout carries a strong personal arc: as a player he suffered a fractured skull in January 2010 and became widely known for wearing protective headgear on the pitch thereafter. (uefa.com)
Sixteen years on from that injury, Chivu was part of Inter’s 2010 squad under José Mourinho, and he now mirrors that era by leading the club to both the league and cup in the same campaign. (bbc.co.uk)
Tactical blueprint and squad management
Chivu’s Inter combined a compact defensive shape with selective attacking thrusts, a balance that proved effective across Serie A and in the cup final. (football-italia.net)
He also managed rotations through the season, using depth in cup fixtures while maintaining league form, an approach that stabilized results and carried the team through congested schedules. (inter.it)
Age profile and next steps for the squad
Observers have noted Inter’s squad among the oldest in Italy’s top flight, a factor that shaped transfer conversations and raised questions about long-term planning. (lapresse.it)
Club officials and the coaching staff now face the task of refreshing key positions while preserving the core that delivered two major trophies, a challenge Chivu acknowledged in post-match comments. (goal.com)
Significance for Italian football
Inter’s double arrives in a season that has drawn attention to low scoring and tactical conservatism across Serie A, yet it also highlights the rewards of consistency and game management over flashier attacking displays. (bbc.co.uk)
For the club, the double revives memories of the Mourinho era and underlines Inter’s return to sustained domestic prominence after years of fluctuation. (as.com)
Cristian Chivu’s achievement — transforming from a helmeted defender and academy coach into the first-team boss who has steered Inter to the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in the same season — is a notable chapter in the club’s modern history and sets a high bar for the summer rebuild and ambitions in Europe next season. (uefa.com)
