Brotherly touch and English flavor could see Inter dominate Serie A, Como looks to surprise again

MILAN (AP) — Cristian Chivu’s brand of brotherly love could be just what Serie A champion Inter Milan needs to dominate Italian soccer again this season.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when the inexperienced Chivu was hired last year to replace Simone Inzaghi as Inter coach. The Nerazzurri were fresh off a 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain in the most lopsided Champions League final in history.

“Everyone was thinking that Inter was, let’s say dying, after what happened,” Inter midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu said in a recent interview with beIN Sports Australia.

Chivu had only ever overseen 13 matches in Serie A but his fresh approach as a coach and new ideas reinvigorated Inter as he steered the Nerazzurri to the Italian league and cup double.

Moreover, the 45-year-old Chivu’s closeness to the players has pulled the team even more together.

“With Chivu it is something different, he cares more about the person, not about the football,” Çalhanoğlu added. “For him it’s more important how you are, how you feel, and he’s open to everything. He gives you the confidence to feel good.

“Of course, he has tactical things … but (outside) of the football he’s like a brother or a friend, you can talk to him about whatever you want, he’s always close to you. … That helped me a lot.”

Inter has been boosted by a distinctive English flavor this offseason. It has already signed England defenders Djed Spence and John Stones and looks set to also land their Three Lions teammate Curtis Jones.

The Serie A champion kicks off the defense of its title at home to newly-promoted Monza on Saturday.

Here’s a look at Inter’s potential challengers:

Napoli finished runner-up last season and would arguably have pushed Inter harder had it not been plagued by injuries all campaign.

But it is having to deal with its sixth coach in little more than three years after Antonio Conte quit at the end of the season.

And it’s a familiar face in charge. Former Juventus and AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was given the reins, despite having been fired by Milan following “an unequivocal failure” of a season.

Rúben Amorim — whose reputation as one of the top emerging coaches in Europe took a hit at Manchester United — has taken over from Allegri at Milan, which ended up finishing fifth last season after struggling toward the end of the campaign.

Milan has added some much-needed firepower as it smashed its transfer record to sign Portugal forward Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain for more than 70 million euros ($80 million).

Lazio and Atalanta are also among the nine Serie A teams to have changed coaches during the offseason. Maurizio Sarri left Lazio for Atalanta , which had a tough season last year in its first without Gian Piero Gasperini.

Former Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has replaced Sarri at Lazio.

While three of the teams that finished in the top seven last season have changed coaches, there will be added stability at Juventus and Roma.

Roma qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2018 in its first season under Gasperini.

That was despite a high-profile spat between Gasperini and Roma's special adviser — and former coach — Claudio Ranieri, that ultimately led to the latter leaving the club .

Gasperini has added talented youngsters Santiago Castro and Rodrigo Mora and could be a serious challenger for a first Serie A title in more than 25 years.

At Juventus, Luciano Spalletti will be in his first full season with the team after the former Napoli and Italy coach took over in October. Juventus was pushing hard for a Champions League spot last season and Spalletti was rewarded with a new two-year contract but the Bianconeri ultimately finished sixth.

Indeed it was Como which surprised everyone by pipping Juventus and Milan to fourth place and the final Champions League spot.

Como, which had never qualified for any continental competition in its 119-year history, was playing in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago.

What former Arsenal and Barcelona player Cesc Fàbregas has achieved in his two years in charge is nothing short of remarkable.

And it was no fluke. Como had the meanest defense in the league but still managed to play an exciting and attacking brand of football.

It has bolstered its already stingy defense with the signing of Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea for 30 million euros and, perhaps most importantly, managed to keep hold of playmaker Nico Paz for at least another season.

After last season, no one would rule out Como making an improbable title push. However, it remains to be seen how its young players — nearly all of whom have never played in the Champions League — cope with the double challenge of European and domestic competition.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here