Inter head coach Cristian Chivu says his side are now “the team everyone wants to beat” as they prepare to defend their Serie A title.
The Milan club secured their 21st championship in the 2025-26 season, finishing 11 points ahead of nearest challengers Napoli. However, Chivu is not yet ready to identify one team as the leading threat to Inter’s hopes of winning the title again.
The Romanian coach was speaking ahead of the new campaign, with Inter still due to play two friendly matches before their competitive fixtures begin. They will face Juventus and Real Betis in their remaining pre-season matches.
Inter’s Serie A title defence will start on 22 August, when they host newly promoted Monza.
Chivu’s comments come after a season in which Inter established a significant gap over Napoli at the top of the table. Their 11-point advantage means the champions will begin the new campaign as the side their rivals are aiming to displace.
Asked about the challenge ahead, Chivu described Inter as “the team everyone wants to beat”, while stopping short of naming a particular club as the main contender for the next championship.
The club’s preparations will continue with the two matches against Juventus and Real Betis before attention turns to the league opener at home to Monza. That fixture will give Inter the opportunity to begin their attempt to retain the title in front of their own supporters.
Monza, who are described as newcomers to the top division, will be the first opponents standing between Inter and a positive start to their latest title defence. Napoli’s 11-point deficit from last season underlines the scale of the task facing any club seeking to overtake the champions, although Chivu believes it is too early to single out one principal challenger.
The comments were reported by FotMob, citing the media service of Inter. They provide an early indication of the mindset around the reigning champions before the start of the new Serie A season.
Inter’s immediate focus remains on completing their friendly schedule against Juventus and Real Betis. Their first competitive assignment will then come on 22 August against Monza, when the holders begin the campaign with the pressure of defending the championship they won in 2025-26.
For Chivu, the priority is to prepare Inter for a season in which every opponent will be motivated by the chance to defeat the reigning champions. While he has not selected a clear title rival, his assessment is that Inter will enter the campaign as the side attracting the greatest attention from those hoping to challenge for the Serie A crown.
