Interview Romanian football
Aleksandar Stankovic describes Cristian Chivu’s advice to play without fear
The Inter midfielder discussed his relationship with Chivu in a club-TV appearance reported by Sport.ro.

Photo credit
Illustrative archive photograph of Cristian Chivu; not a photograph of the reported event.
Photo: Andrei Stroe · RO B ROMAUT Cristian Chivu 2.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for display
Aleksandar Stankovic has described the confidence Cristian Chivu encourages him to show on the pitch. Sport.ro reports that the Inter midfielder discussed the Romanian coach’s advice during an appearance on Inter TV’s Welcome Kit programme.
In the remarks reported by the outlet, Stankovic said Chivu repeatedly encourages him to play without fear, trust his ability and avoid being intimidated by opponents. His comments concern the coach’s message to him, rather than a prediction about an upcoming result.
The relationship also reaches back to youth football. Sport.ro says Chivu coached Stankovic during his time with Inter’s Primavera side. The outlet notes a family connection too: Chivu previously played alongside the midfielder’s father, Dejan Stankovic.