Chivu unfazed by Inter's recent struggles against AC Milan
Inter failed to beat rivals AC Milan in five matches last season, but Cristian Chivu refused to focus on the past ahead of the derby.
Inter head coach Cristian Chivu insisted that he is not worried about their recent struggles against AC Milan ahead of the derby on Sunday.
The two sides met five times last season, twice in Serie A, twice in the Coppa Italia and once more in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Milan won three of those five fixtures and drew the other two as Inter failed to get the better of their rivals.
Milan have also won their last two 'away' derbies against Inter in all competitions, as many victories as in their previous 16 such games (two wins, three draws, 11 defeats).
Inter are currently first in Serie A, two points ahead of third-place Milan after 11 games.
Chivu claimed he is only focused on what is ahead of them as they look to build a bigger gap between themselves and their counterparts.
"Five matches without beating Milan? I'm not going to reopen those wounds," said Chivu.
"We know where we come from, and we know where we are. And when you have that awareness, you have more certainty about where you want to go.
"The past doesn't interest me, and I'm not interested in hyping things up by saying we haven't won the last five against Milan either.
"I want grit, passion, but also smiles. I talk about smiles and happiness too — football is a beautiful game that brought them here.
"They must not forget where they started and how much effort they've put in. But that doesn't mean someone has to tell us we need to win every single match. No, not like that. That would be too much.
"I want people who enjoy themselves and who find responsibility in that enjoyment. Carrying forward the project and the ambitions. Only that way can you grow."
