Cristian Chivu facts for kids
Chivu in a charity match in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Eugen Chivu | ||
| Date of birth | 26 October 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Reșița, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Left-back, centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1997 | CSM Reșița | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–1998 | CSM Reșița | 24 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | Universitatea Craiova | 32 | (3) |
| 1999–2003 | Ajax | 107 | (13) |
| 2003–2007 | Roma | 85 | (6) |
| 2007–2014 | Inter Milan | 115 | (3) |
| Total | 363 | (27) | |
| National team | |||
| 1997–1998 | Romania U18 | 12 | (1) |
| 1998–2000 | Romania U21 | 13 | (0) |
| 1999–2011 | Romania | 75 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018–2019 | Inter Milan U14 | ||
| 2019–2020 | Inter Milan U17 | ||
| 2020–2021 | Inter Milan U18 | ||
| 2021–2024 | Inter Milan U19 | ||
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Cristian Eugen Chivu (born 26 October 1980) is a famous Romanian football manager and former player. He used to be the head coach for Inter Milan's under-19 team.
Chivu was a strong defender. He started his career in his hometown with CSM Reșița. Later, he moved to FC Universitatea Craiova in 1998. A year later, he joined the Dutch club Ajax.
His great playing skills at Ajax, where he was the captain, led to a big transfer to Roma in 2003. He won the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) in his last season with Roma. After four years, he moved to Inter Milan. He played there until he retired in 2014.
After a serious head injury, Chivu bravely wore special protective headgear from 2010 onwards. This helped him continue playing safely. At Inter, he achieved amazing success. He won the Italian league, the domestic cup, and the UEFA Champions League all in 2010. This is known as a "treble."
Chivu also played for the Romanian national team 75 times between 1999 and 2010. He played in the UEFA European Championships in 2000 and 2008. After he stopped playing, he became a football expert for TV and a technical observer for UEFA.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Romania
Cristian Chivu began his professional football journey with CSM Reșița. After that, he joined FC Universitatea Craiova. His talent quickly became clear. Soon, bigger clubs from outside Romania noticed him. The Dutch club Ajax was very impressed and signed him in 1999.
Becoming a Star at Ajax
At Ajax, Chivu became known as a very reliable defender. He was also great at taking free kicks. His coach, Ronald Koeman, made him the team captain. With Chivu leading the way, Ajax had a fantastic young team. They won the Dutch Eredivisie league.
He played alongside future football stars like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wesley Sneijder. Chivu was a key player when Ajax almost reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2002–03 season.
Time with Roma
In 2003, Roma from Italy wanted to sign Chivu. After a lot of discussion, Roma finally bought him for €18 million. He became a regular player in their defense. However, he sometimes missed games because of injuries. In his last season with Roma, he helped them win the 2006–07 Coppa Italia, which is Italy's main cup competition.
Winning Big with Inter Milan
Chivu joined Inter Milan on 27 July 2007. The transfer fee was €16 million. His first season with Inter was very successful. He helped them win the Serie A title, which he had not won with Roma.
During a Champions League match in 2008–09, Chivu played incredibly well against Manchester United. He stopped their star players, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, many times. He was even named "Man of the Match."
In the 2009–10 season, Chivu often played as a left-back. On 6 January, he had a head collision during a game. He needed surgery for a skull fracture. Doctors thought he might not play again that season. But he made a brave return to the field on 24 March. After this, he always wore a special headguard during matches to protect himself.
A month later, Chivu scored his first goal for Inter with a powerful shot from far away. On 22 May 2010, he played in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Inter won 2–0, completing a famous "treble" of trophies that season. This included the Italian league, the Italian Cup, and the Champions League.
He scored another important goal for Inter in the 2010–11 season. He also scored the winning penalty in the 2010–11 Coppa Italia against Napoli. Chivu left Inter in March 2014 and announced his retirement from football on the same day.
International Career
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In 1999, Chivu was chosen to play for the Romanian under-21 team. He quickly moved up to the senior national team. He played for his country in the UEFA Euro 2000 and Euro 2008 tournaments. Even though he had only played four times before Euro 2000, he started all four matches and scored his first goal for Romania.
At Euro 2008, he was praised for his strong performances. He helped keep strong teams like Italy and France from scoring easily. He often played in a different position as a holding midfielder. Chivu was the captain for Romania during the World Cup qualification games. On 21 May 2011, Chivu announced he was retiring from the national team.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Chivu decided to become a coach. In August 2019, he started taking courses to earn his UEFA Pro Licence, which is a top coaching qualification. In July 2021, he was named the new head coach of Inter Milan's Primavera (under-19) team.
Personal Life
Cristian Chivu is very good with languages. He speaks Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and English, along with his native Romanian.
His father, Mircea, was also a footballer and a coach. The Mircea Chivu Stadium in Reșița is named in his father's honor. Mircea played as a right-back and won a league title with Universitatea Craiova. He was coaching at FCM Reșița when Cristian started his career. Cristian has also helped open football schools in Romania. He once said he hoped his father, who passed away in 1998, would be proud of him.
Cristian is married to Adelina Elisei. They have a daughter named Natalia, who was born on 12 February 2009.
Honours
Player
CSM Reșița
- Divizia B: 1996–97
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2001–02
- KNVB Beker: 2001–02
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2002
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 2006–07
- Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2006
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Coppa Italia: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2008, 2010
- UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 1999–2000
- Dutch Golden Shoe: 2002
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2000–01, 2002–03
- Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year: 2002, 2009, 2010
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2002
- Giacinto Facchetti Awards: 2021
Coach
Inter Milan U19
- Campionato Primavera 1: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Cristian Chivu para niños
