Sneijder: “Now Chivu is a coach, he doesn’t pick up when I call”

Wesley Sneijder, the former midfielder of the Netherlands national team, recently spoke at the Festivallo dello Sport in Italy about his enduring love for Internazionale. He admitted that his contact with head coach Mircea Chivu has somewhat faded and that he still follows the club closely.

“Now that he is the coach of Inter, he doesn’t answer when I call,” Sneijder laughed, while holding the phone up in the air. He praised Chivu as a great leader, a former teammate at Inter, and called him an incredible guy.

Chivu as Inter coach

Mircea Chivu started in 2025 as head coach of Inter and is currently in his second season. Sneijder noted that Chivu has his own ideas and conveys them convincingly to the squad.

Inter won both the Serie A and the cup last season under the Romanian's leadership. In the Champions League, however, the Nerazzuri were already knocked out in the round of 16.

Sneijder admitted that he did not expect Chivu to be so outspoken as a coach. He clearly feels like one of the players and Sneijder hopes that he stays at Inter for a long time.

Sneijder’s candid support underscores how former players continue to shape Inter’s identity and adds a personal touch to the club culture.