The former Nerazzurri striker assesses the team’s current situation from California: “El Toro is a blessing, never a problem. And let Pio Esposito make mistakes.”

Sitting peacefully at a table in a (strictly Italian) café in California, where the temperature is 24°C, Jurgen Klinsmann seems a long way from the icy Madrid wind that swept through his Inter on Wednesday night. However, the former German star of the Nerazzurri immediately made his optimistic weather forecast over the phone: “The sun will shine very soon on Cristian Chivu’s team, from the coach to the undisputed captain.”

Okay, Klinsmann, but then the same thing always happens on the pitch: Inter play well, but…

“I watched the whole derby, and I caught up on the Madrid game later because I was commentating on Arsenal-Bayern and PSG-Tottenham on ESPN. It seems to me that, results aside, the team is there, in every respect. They have clear ideas about how they want to attack with many players. The game against Atletico wasn’t that different from the one against Milan: Inter almost always play better than their opponents, create chances, waste them, but concede goals on the first counterattack or, even worse, from set pieces.”

But can it ever be just a coincidence?

“We’re always there, it all comes down to a question of mindset, and now is the time to react. It’s not a problem of player quality, training, or tactics: I attribute it all to small mental details. At certain moments, especially on set pieces, you have to be aggressive and focused enough: if you get distracted at the crucial moment, you lose games like the one at the Metropolitano.”

Your former teammate Aldo Serena, commenting on the goal conceded by Atletico in stoppage time, said that center forwards like you would have had a field day with Chivu’s zonal defense. Aldo is right, zone defense “invites” the attacker a bit, who comes from behind and surprises his opponent, but that can’t be the only explanation for the goal. Here too, the problem is more about mentality than system: if you defend with a zone but your defenders move, anticipate, attack the ball, and watch the man inside their space, you can still do a great job and not take any risks.”

The way of playing has definitely changed, however: do you like it?

“I see a much more aggressive, proactive team, in a word… modern. Especially with this pressing, you have to be quick to read individual situations first if you don’t want to concede chances. It’s true that you can take risks, as is happening now, but Inter are undergoing a process of transformation: the coach is instilling in the players’ minds the belief that they can control games by playing this way. You find balance over time, not in a few months, when you find a way to cover quickly when you lose the ball.”

How do you rate Chivu’s performance over the last few months?

“Very, very positively. You can see that he’s building something great, but he shouldn’t be judged by the number of defeats, even if five may seem like a lot. The Serie A table shows that the top is within reach, while in the Champions League, they can comfortably finish in the top eight. That’s not so bad… I especially like the way Chivu knows how to be direct: he doesn’t want to please, he says what he thinks. Even when things go wrong, he’s no different, he doesn’t give up on the idea that the team should enjoy themselves.”

But are you convinced that Italy is ready to understand this kind of talk?

“It’s not a lack of determination, but clarity and depth of thought. Obviously, when results are lacking, players must also take responsibility when they miss chances in front of goal or make serious defensive errors. Chivu, however, goes beyond the Italian culture of playing to avoid defeat rather than to win. He aims for success and remains faithful to a proactive, cheerful style. Another thing I appreciate is that he is not afraid to play young players: Lennart Karl, the 17-year-old Bayern player who scored against Arsenal, would at best have gone out on loan in Italy.”

Speaking of young players, is it time for Pio, even though he lost the ball that led to Atletico’s goal in Madrid?

“Let him make mistakes, but above all, let him play. It’s clear that he has incredible talent and physique, but this is the moment when he mustn’t be held back by anything or anyone. I see that Chivu continues to give him space and I hope that will continue to be the case, even if the competition is fierce, starting with Lautaro.”

The Argentine, however, is still inconsistent.

“I know what it feels like when you give it your all and the ball just won’t go in. It happened to him in the derby and in the Champions League, where he was substituted during the game. It may seem strange, given that we’re talking about the team’s symbol, but it’s also a sign that Chivu doesn’t favor anyone. It’s right that he comes off angry after a substitution, but the words ‘problem’ and ‘Lautaro’ cannot be used in the same sentence. We have to start with him, then Thuram, but also Bonny and Pio, will take some of the responsibility off his shoulders. Maybe he feels too much pressure, but he’s a blessing for Inter.”

In this defense that sometimes switches off, his compatriot Bisseck is growing: will he succeed in his goal of going to the World Cup?

“I hope so, he has everything it takes to play for the national team and as a starter at Inter. In fact, now that Dumfries is missing, why not use him as a winger? With that running and that pace, what problems will he have?”