CRISTIAN CHIVU

Cristian Chivu has finally decided to hang his boots. The Romanian defender who had been out of action since a long time because of being injured made the announcement yesterday.

Chivu’s contract with the Italian club Inter Milan was going to expire at the end of the ongoing season, but, there were no chances of the player getting fit in time to play even one match for the club. So, both the parties reached an agreement and the contract was terminated a couple of months before its completion.

Chivu played for Inter Milan for a long period of time. He joined the club in 2007 after leaving Roma and soon became one of the key players for them. He did struggle with fitness problems during his time over there, but, he made some significant contributions for the club over the years.

Announcing his retirement, Chivu said, “I think the time is perfect for me to call it a day. I would take this opportunity to show my gratefulness to the various clubs that I have been a part of during my career. If they had not given me the chances, I would perhaps not have been able to go this far ahead as a player.”

“I am very happy with the fact that I managed to make my parents proud with my efforts on the field. It’s certainly the end of a very interesting phase of my life, but, another interesting phase is about to begin as I look forward to spend much more time with my family in future.”

Chivu represented 5 different clubs during his career and performed decently well for all of them. He had a wonderful international career too. He played 75 matches for his country Romania and scored 3 goals.

It was highly anticipated that Cristian Chivu would be an important player for Inter Milan this season after just extending his contract in the summer. However, the Romanian defender has been out for most of the season due to a foot injury and he recently underwent an operation. His future in the game is in serious doubt since he does not have a contract beyond the end of the season. At 33 years of age, it is looking unlikely that he may return to be the player he once was at the likes of Roma. Chivu has been one of the finest defenders in Italian football over the last decade.

He has been at Inter Milan for several years now, but the 33-year-old was widely speculated to be on the verge of leaving the club in the summer. He ended up staying after signing a new one-year extension, but that extension is about to expire. The defender is widely expected to announce his retirement after undergoing the third operation in his right foot. He is suffering from a ligament injury that is a recurring constantly. Former Roma manager Luciano Spalletti has extended his support to the player, who he once managed at Roma.

“Chivu is a great man as much as he is a great player. With me, we understood each other immediately and he put himself at my disposal, thanks to his ability to play multiple roles. His best characteristic, however, was to be open-minded and try to lend a hand to anyone who asked him for help. He is a great man and the results I obtained in Rome I owe some thanks to the value of Chivu,” said the former Roma coach, who last managed Zenit St Petersburg a few years ago.

Inter have been struggling with out of the presence of Chivu at the back.

Dispelling rumours about his future, Cristian Chivu signed a contract extension with Inter Milan at the end of last season. This one-year contract extension was expected to give Inter Milan continuity and experience at the back under the new management of Walter Mazzarri. However, the Romanian defender has spent most of the season on the sidelines because of a foot injury. His contract comes to an end this campaign and speculation has once again begun about his future at the San Siro. His agent has spoken about his client’s position by saying that Chivu is not focused on his contract.

Instead, he is only looking to return back from injury and help his team achieved a top three finish in the league, which will take them back to Champions league football. Inter failed to even qualify for the Europa league last season. This was expected to be a major assistance towards their push for a Champions League place this season. After a good start to the campaign, Inter Milan have been slowly slipping down the league and they are fifth in the table just after the winter break.

They have already 10 points behind Napoli, who occupy the final qualifying spot with 42 points. The title looks out of question since Juventus lead the table with 52 points.

“He’s working to get back on the field after the bad injury he had. When will he make his return? Perhaps by the end of February. His future? We’re not thinking about it right now. Chivu has to recover, then we’ll see what happens,” said Cristian Chivu’s agent. The likes of Fiorentina and Roma have been able to do well ahead of Inter Milan, who face the prospect of yet another season without Champions League football. The Italian club won this competition back in 2010.