Inter closed their Serie A title defence with a 3-3 draw against Bologna, but attention quickly moved to Stefan de Vrij, who left the pitch holding a thigh. With the World Cup approaching, Cristian Chivu stressed concern over the defender’s condition while reflecting on an intense end to Inter’s domestic season.

The injury came late in the match, shortly before Ronald Koeman is due to confirm the Netherlands squad on Monday. Chivu admitted Inter still await full assessments on De Vrij, yet outlined clear hope for positive news. “We hope it is nothing too serious and that he can recover in time for the World Cup, because he deserves to play in that tournament,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

Chivu’s first campaign in charge brought two trophies, as Inter combined the Scudetto with Coppa Italia success. The team finished the league season with 89 goals, matching their tallies from the 2020-21 and 2023-24 title seasons, underlining a consistent attacking output across recent championship years.

Pio Esposito contributed significantly across competitions, reaching 10 goals in total and seven in Serie A. That league return placed Pio Esposito alongside notable Inter talents of the three-points-for-a-win era, following Mario Balotelli and Obafemi Martins as the third Inter player to score more than six Serie A goals in a season before turning 21.

Balotelli hit eight league goals in 2008-09 and nine in 2009-10, while Martins scored seven in 2003-04 and 11 in 2004-05. Those numbers offer context for Pio Esposito’s status within Inter’s youth pathway, with Chivu keen to stress that emerging players such as Pio Esposito are earning minutes on merit in a demanding Serie A environment.

The Bologna match itself swung repeatedly. Federico Dimarco opened the scoring for the champions, before Federico Bernardeschi and Tommaso Pobega turned the game around. A Piotr Zielinski own goal appeared to decide the contest, but Francesco Pio Esposito struck and Andy Diouf equalised in the 86th minute, rescuing a point.

Chivu highlighted the contribution of Inter’s younger players and squad depth during the Bologna draw and across the season. “We must always honour the shirt, and the lads again gave their best, putting themselves at the disposal of the team,” Chivu added. “The substitutes also showed their quality, so I am pleased for [Matteo] Cocchi, [Luka] Topalovic and Diouf, along with Pio scoring his 10th goal of the season. These are all good players who deserve to play for Inter. We’re giving them the chance to taste Serie A football and help them grow. This is not an easy league to play in.”

Looking at the broader squad structure, Chivu underlined Inter’s aim to build on existing strengths while planning around key tournaments such as the World Cup. “This is a team with a lot of guarantees, so rather than lose those, what we want to do is add a little more on top. Josep Martinez and Diouf can be part of this squad, to develop quality and ambition. Last season we went into the Club World Cup to honour our obligations, but nine months later we have two trophies and need a nice vacation.”

Inter therefore end the campaign with silverware secured, attacking records maintained and several young players gaining valuable Serie A minutes. The main concern now centres on medical updates for De Vrij, whose fitness will affect both Inter’s defensive plans and Koeman’s World Cup thinking for the Netherlands.