The Romanian coach seems inclined to confirm his faith in the Swiss player against Ajax, but in the league he could give the Spaniard a chance

“I’m not changing the goalkeeper because the fans are asking me to: Yann Sommer deserves respect.” With this statement, surprising in its peremptory nature, Cristian Chivu officially confirmed the number 1 for the first Champions League match in Amsterdam. But the Inter coach still has the idea that emerged in the aftermath of the painful defeat against Juventus. Josep Martinez will have plenty of playing time during the season and should be promoted as early as next Sunday evening at San Siro against Sassuolo.

In the heat of the moment, Chivu was tempted to make the change immediately. He had even discussed it with the staff during meetings at Appiano. However, he then decided not to punish Sommer, a pillar of the team in recent years. If he had left him out against Ajax after his serious mistakes at the Stadium, it would have been a crushing blow. Instead, he is maintaining a balance between the need for results and the need for renewal. The most credible hypothesis is that Martinez will be assigned the role of starter for the league and that Sommer will play in the Champions League from now on. Many clubs alternate goalkeepers depending on the competition. But the situation is evolving: much will depend on the performance of the two competitors, day after day, game after game. The new Inter is still in the experimental phase.