Chivus commanding Inter Milan secure Serie A crown three matches early
Approaching the 35th matchday of the 2025/26 Serie A campaign, Inter recognised that victory on Sunday at home versus Parma would confirm the championship, or even sooner if Napoli stumbled on Saturday and their local opponents AC Milan could not triumph on Sunday afternoon.
In the end, Napoli managed only a draw while Milan suffered defeat, allowing Inter to claim a 2-0 victory against Parma and lock in the success.
For manager Cristian Chivu, this marks a tremendous milestone in his debut year leading the Nerazzurri.
The ex-player Chivu assumed control after Simone Inzaghi opted to depart the team during the 2025 summer and join Saudi outfit Al Hilal.
Inzaghi proved a tough predecessor to succeed, having captured the league in 2023/24 alongside two Coppa Italia honours and advancing to the Champions League final twice.
At the start of this term, swift accomplishments were not anticipated from the 45-year-old Chivu, particularly with Antonio Contes Napoli aiming to retain their crown and AC Milan guided by the seasoned tactician Massimiliano Allegri, a multiple title winner.
Yet Inters primary rivals weakened as the campaign progressed, whereas fourth-positioned Juventus remained largely out of contention, facing initial struggles and a managerial switch in October.
Igniting offensive flair and robust backline
Inter have excelled offensively in Italian football this year, netting over 30 more strikes than Napoli and Milan combined in a remarkable display.
Guiding the attack primarily has been skipper Lautaro Martinez, boasting a league-leading 16 tallies and still adding to them. Marcus Thuram with 13 strikes and Hakan Calhanoglu via nine have contributed significantly too. Additionally, young forward Francesco Pio Esposito has had a stellar emergence with six goals.
Wing-back Federico Dimarco tops the assist charts with 18, surpassing not only every other player this season but setting a new record for any individual in Serie A history. Central figure Nicolo Barella has supplied more than six himself.
At the rear, Inter have allowed fewer than one goal per match overall with 31 conceded, thanks to seasoned goalkeeper Yann Sommer and compatriot Manuel Akanji, acquired on loan in summer, both near-constant fixtures as the team marched to glory suffering only five defeats throughout.
Inter fell short in the Champions League though, exiting in the qualification phase against Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. This intensified the focus on Chivus squad in domestic competition, and in contrast to Napoli and Milan who squandered key points during spring, Inter maintained composure to surge to the summit.
Within the division, their strong finish proved decisive in a contest that risked becoming tight. After the November derby setback to Milan, they have dropped points just once further in Serie A, again to Milan.
From that loss onward, an ongoing eight-game unbeaten streak delivers not just the league triumph but positions them in the Coppa Italia decider where Chivu pursues an uncommon pairing.
Inter last achieved the double in 2010 led by Jose Mourinho in his historic treble year of 2009/10. Just Juventus surpass them in Italian elite division victories with 36.