Inter's Champions League Nightmare: Chivu Admits 'It Can Be a Drama' Before Shakhtar Test

Only a win will do at San Siro

Inter go into their latest Champions League fixture knowing nothing less than a victory will do — and the Italian press is treating the occasion as a full-blown crisis.

La Gazzetta dello Sport was blunt about the task in Milan: "Inter, only win Shakhtar at San Siro", pointing to a Bonny-Thuram attacking axis — pairing Ange-Yoan Bonny with Marcus Thuram — and noting that Lautaro Martinez remained "still in goal".

A 'Champions nightmare'

Tuttosport went further, branding the situation a "Champions nightmare" and reporting that the club's ambition of going all the way in Europe is now viewed internally as a "dream, not target", with seven defeats in their last eight matches.

Coach Cristian Chivu did not shrink from the stakes. "It can be a drama if we lose," he warned, while Corriere dello Sport headlined his comments with the stark phrase "Pressure on Inter".

The bigger picture

The mood reflects a wider malaise for Italian clubs in Europe earlier in the month. On 15 October 2026, Football Italia reported that four Serie A sides had lost in a single Champions League round for the first time, with Inter among the beaten teams before Roma and Napoli finally lifted the mood.

Now the spotlight falls squarely back on Inter — and on Chivu, whose future framing of a must-win night could hardly be more pointed.