MILAN - Quantity, quality and dependability. Versatile Romania captain Cristian Chivu left his mark on the Scudetto with a series of outstanding performances in defence and midfield.
Click below for a pictorial look back at Cristian’s 2008/09

APPIANO GENTILE - Inter continued their preparations for Sunday’s away match against Chievo with a morning workout involving warm-up exercises, possession, tactical and shooting drills.
Cristian Chivu and Sulley Muntari worked individually, performing warm-up exercises before continuing with a series of runs with changes of speed, technique drills and some target practice.
Paolo Orlandoni (jogging, strength building), Nelson Rivas (treatment, physiotherapy, injury-recovery session) and Maicon (30 minutes of running & technique drills) also trained separately. The Brazilian full-back will train again this afternoon (strength building session in gym).

APPIANO GENTILE - The third session of the week in preparation for Sunday’s match away to ChievoVerona took place this morning at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, unavailable for the Stadio Bentegodi clash due to suspension, was back to work today after four days off. The Swedish striker trained with the squad, which was organised into three groups by José Mourinho and his coaching staff. Also back in full training were Victor Obinna and Walter Samuel, who did some extra strength building work in the gym.
After a warm-up the players performed shooting drills, played some football-tennis and played a series of tactical training games.
Cristian Chivu (aerobic work, circuit training), Maicon (double session with strengthening drills and spinning), Sulley Muntari (double session with aerobic work and strength building exercises in gym), Paolo Orlandoni (strength building in gym) and Nelson Rivas (double session with injury rehabilitation exercises) trained individually.

APPIANO GENTILE - Zlatan Ibrahimovic previewed Saturday evening’s clash between Inter and Juventus in an exclusive interview for Inter Channel programme A tu per tu.
This is what he had to say:
Ibrahimovic, is Juventus-Inter a match that can decide the season?
"I don’t think it’s the most important match of the year because they all have the same importance. Up to now we have shown that we want to win the championship and this is why we are top. We have a ten-point advantage over Juventus and it will be even bigger if we win tomorrow, but as I said, I don’t think it’s the most important game of the year. It will certainly be a spectacular and exciting match between the two strongest teams. We are ready, we have worked well all week and we’re going to Turin to win."
In Turin a few weeks ago they were convinced that tomorrow’s game would be fundamental because they thought they could earn points before this clash, but Inter have won the points. Does going to Turin with a ten-point advantage create a different mental attitude?
"It was normal for Juventus to think like this. If they hadn’t, it would already be over, because a team always has to believe that it has a chance. But there are also possibilities for Inter. It won’t be easy for them and it won’t be easy for us, either. There are still seven matches. If we win tomorrow there will be six left and we will have a big lead, but we still have to play our game, look at our situation and work without concentrating on what the other teams do. It all depends on us."
It was a great Inter in the reverse fixture. Do you remember that match?
"Yes, I remember it very well. The stadium was full, we played a great game creating many scoring chances. Juve had a few chances to score as well, but we won in the end. We played better than them and it all went well."
Ibrahimovic knows them both well. Is it hard to put goals past Gianluigi Buffon and Julio Cesar?
"I know both of them. They are two great goalkeepers. Buffon was already at a high level when I arrived at Juventus. He was number one and it was hard to score against him even in training. Then when I arrived at Inter I met Julio Cesar, who has improved greatly in these three years and has become number one. At the start he was on the right road to becoming it; now he’s at a very high level and it’s very hard to beat him. However, I think that they are two different goalkeepers. Julio Cesar could even play outfield because he has incredible technique for someone who plays in goal. Buffon doesn’t have the same ability with his feet."
How important is it for a goalkeeper in today’s football to be able to play well with his feet?
"I don’t know. It depends. Buffon has done some fantastic things so far, but when I look at Julio Cesar I see a different goalkeeper with a different style: a new kind of goalkeeper who has great qualities not just with his hands, but also with his feet."
It’s like having an eleventh player…
"More or less. It depends how the team plays… (Smiles) When we play, Julio Cesar has nothing to do with it…"
Seventeen different Inter players have scored this season, while sixteen different Juventus players have hit the target. A sign that anyone in these two teams can be decisive?
"We are two great teams with great players in every role. Everyone can score goals and help the team. And I have always said that it’s not important who scores the goals. A goal gives you confidence, a lead, but in the end it’s the three points that count, so it’s the same for me whether Julio Cesar, Ivan Cordoba or Cristian Chivu score. What really counts at the end is winning the competition and being able to say that you have won, even if you have won with forty goals… I prefer to win the trophy rather than score more than the others."
Inter-Juventus is also a possible Coppa Italia final in Rome…
"It would be nice because both teams deserve to win the Coppa Italia. We will have to beat Sampdoria in our next home match and come back from three goals down. It won’t be easy but we will do everything to succeed. We are a great team; we have the players who can do everything to win."
Ibrahimovic is Serie A top scorer with twenty goals, and he has also scored more than all the other players in every other division…
"This is very important. I’m playing well and I’m improving day after day. My team-mates and the coach help me by giving me lots of faith and the fans also give me the support necessary to do my best. I’m happy that I’m feeling well physically and that I haven’t had the physical problems that I had last year with that knee problem. I continued playing despite that problem and now I realise I was wrong to. It’s wrong to go on the pitch when you’re not physically fit because you’re not one hundred percent and you can’t express yourself like you want to. I’m fine now, I’m ready for the next matches and it’s thanks to all my team-mates that everything is going well. Without them I couldn’t do everything I’m doing."
You said that you are stimulated when opposing fans boo you. And there have always been a lot of boos for Ibrahimovic in Turin…
"I like it. It will definitely be the same again this time. (Smiles) If I were a Juventus fan I would boo Ibrahimovic too if he left my team. He’s a great player…"
It will be a great clash against Giorgio Chiellini, who is considered one of the best Italian defenders…
"I don’t know Chiellini very well because he still wasn’t in the team when I arrived at Juventus. He came in during my second year. I can only say that he wasn’t the same as he is today. He has grown a lot, he’s doing very well and I also think that he’s one of the best defenders in Italy. He has also played in the national team and this helps you improve in terms of experience. It will be an interesting duel because he’s a defender and, as such, his task is to stop the strikers. Instead, I will do everything to score goals and create chances."
But do you like him as a defender?
"I like him a lot because he plays in a very strong and physical way. But you always have to be careful, stay two steps ahead and see how it goes…"
Have you given any advice to your team-mates in defence about the characteristics of the Bianconeri strikers?
"I think that my team-mates already know them well. They have played against them in past years and a defender already knows what he has to do. If I had to give advice to my team-mates they could even choose not to listen to me because each of us acts in a different way and has his tricks to stop these kind of strikers. This is why he’s a footballer who plays for Inter."
Do you need to particularly concentrated against a team like Juventus, who play with a high defence?
"Yes, but Juventus also attack insistently because they are determined to win matches. And tomorrow there will be two teams who want to score goals and win. It will be very interesting because Juventus will play with a very high defence and will press us, but we have to play like we can, with confidence like we did in the reverse match."
According to Ibrahimovic, will the team that scores first tomorrow win?
"No. The team that scores last will win."
Ibrahimovic’s best goal this season? In Bologna, in Palermo, against Reggina or the one in the Champions League in Bremen?
"What do you think?"
The most difficult one was the goal you scored against Reggina…
"For me it’s the one I scored in Bologna because you can repeat all the others. The one I scored against Reggina, I could score again; the one in Palermo I did it again against Fiorentina. You don’t get many chances to score one like the one I got in Bologna. If I have to vote I’ll vote for the Bologna one… (smiles) but I could still do it again…"

MILAN - Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had first-half goals cancelled out by second-half efforts from Edinson Cavani and Davide Succi as Palermo held Inter 2-2 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
It was one-way traffic in the opening period of the Serie A Week 31 clash, with Inter’s 18-year-old striker nodding home the opener on 14 minutes before Ibrahimovic added the second from the penalty spot six minutes before the break.
Despite a strong start to the second half by the visitors, Inter looked to be on course for a 23rd league win but Cavani and Succi scored in the space of three minutes to force the draw.
Francesco Toldo for Julio Cesar between the sticks was Mourinho’s only change to the team that beat Udinese 1-0 last Sunday. Palermo coach Ballardini also made also one switch to the team that beat Torino by the same score last weekend, bringing in Cassani for Savini at right-back.
The Easter Saturday fixture kicked off after a minute’s silence to remember the Abruzzo earthquake victims. All the players wore black armbands while Mourinho donned a black tie as a mark of respect.
Inter had an early chance when the flag stayed down after Ibrahimovic controlled Cambiasso’s through ball and lobbed Amelia but his effort was off-target. Balotelli did better five minutes after, rising totally unmarked in the area to head Muntari’s left-wing cross beyond a hapless Amelia for his seventh goal in all competitions this season.
SuperMario went close to a quick second, lifting Muntari’s floated pass over Amelia and the crossbar before Ibrahimovic tested the Palermo custodian with a fierce angled drive.
Amelia pulled off more saves from Stankovic and Maxwell but there was nothing he could do to stop Ibrahimovic topping the scorers list with his 20th of the season with a powerful penalty kick after a foul in the area by Kjaer.
Palermo came out for the second half all guns blazing but the first chance fell to Balotelli whose curling shot missed by a matter of inches. Rosanero substitute Bresciano volleyed narrowly wide and Toldo made a splendid tipped save from Cavani as the visitors continued their search for a goal.
Their first came in the 73rd minute when Cavani fired diagonal shot past Toldo. The second arrived three minutes later when Bresciano delivered a cross to the back post and Miccoli played first-time into the path of Succi who slid home from close range.
Miccoli went close to a late winner, curling inches wide after drifting past three opponents.
Inter 2-2 Palermo (HT: 2-0)
Scorers: Balotelli 15, Ibrahimovic (pen) 39, Cavani 73, Succi 76.
Inter: 1 Toldo; 39 Santon, 2 Cordoba, 26 Chivu, 6 Maxwell (18 Crespo 79); 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 20 Muntari (7 Figo 79); 5 Stankovic; 45 Balotelli (14 Vieira 74), 8 Ibrahimovic.
Subs not used: 22 Orlandoni, 9 Cruz, 16 Burdisso, 25 Samuel.
Coach: José Mourinho.
Palermo: 32 Amelia; 16 Cassani, 24 Kjaer, 80 Carrozzieri, 42 Balzaretti; 8 Migliaccio (23 Bresciano 46), 11 Liverani (5 Bovo 70), 33 Nocerino (19 Succi 57); 30 Simplicio; 7 Cavani, 10 Miccoli.
Subs not used: 1 Ujkani, 4 Tedesco, 25 Savini, 90 Hernandez.
Coach: Davide Ballardini.
Referee: Carmine Russo (Nola).
Booked: Bovo 45+2, Stankovic 65, Succi 76, Chivu 89, Simplicio 90+1.

UDINE - Cristian Chivu carried off Sky Sport Italia’s man of the match award for his performance against Udinese.
"We knew we could increase our lead over Juventus and now we are nine points clear," said the Romanian defender. "We played a discrete game but we didn’t manage to express ourselves at best in the first half. We created more in the second half.
"Knowing Juventus’ result didn’t make any difference. We didn’t think about their result against Chievo. It’s them who have to worry about our results. We’re in front and we’re only thinking about playing our matches.
"We told ourselves before the game that we could stay seven points clear or go nine clear. We did it and we are happy.
"It hasn’t been an easy season for me because I missed the pre-season preparations and I was out for four months, and then I injured my knee. I take each day as it comes and enjoy every moment, waiting for Sunday to give my contribution to the team."

Inter Milan defender Cristian Chivu is keen on a return to former club Roma.
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APPIANO GENTILE - Nerazzurri is back on the training pitch this morning for the second time this week. As known Josè Mourinho, Silvino (the goalie trainer), and Andrea Butti (the team manager) are in the States to verify the facilities in which Nerazzuri are going to spend their summer retreat. Giuseppe Baresi headed the traing helped by Daniele Bernazzani, Rui Faria and Piero Bosaglia.
Eight Nerazzurri members were not present because busy with homegrown teams (Adriano, Julio Cesar, Maicon, Sulley Muntari, Victor Obinna, Walter Samuel, Dejan Stankovic and Javier Zanetti). After warm up, the first group started with a session focused on possession drills and aerobic exercises. Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, Nicolas Burdisso, Cristian Chivu e Luis Figo worked separately because of they injuries.

APPIANO GENTILE - Supervised by fitness coach Gian Nicola Bisciotti and physiotherapists Marco and Massimo Della Casa, Alberto Galbiati and Andrea Galli, four players trained at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti this morning. 
Nicolas Burdisso, Ivan Cordoba and Luis Figo did circuit training with the ball followed by strength building exercises in the gym, while Cristian Chivu continued his recovery from injury with an individual session.

Due to a muscle strain in his tigh, Inter Milan’s Romanian central defender Christian Chivu will miss at least a month of action.