Inter Milan publicly address Diego Simeone rumors

Inter Milan have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, but president Giuseppe Marotta has publicly rubbished the rumors, speaking to the media prior to the Champions League games pitting Atleti against Club Brugge and Inter against ultimate underdogs Bodo Glimt.

Simeone survived his underdog scare against Brugge, dominating the Belgian side in the second leg to skate into the Round of 16 of the Champions League, and we will have to see what happens to Inter after their 3-1 loss to Bodo in the first leg.

Atleti are not in the La Liga title race, though. Meanwhile, in his first season at the club as a manager, Nerazzurri manager Christian Chivu, who was a top midfielder for the Serie A giants in the preceding decade, has Inter clear frontrunners in the league with Napoli slipping after winning last season’s title.

So you can see why Marotta would back Chivu rather than pay up for the bigger name Simeone, who has long been rumored to leave Atleti but, you know, never actually has left the club he brought back on the map as title winners twice in the 2010s and 2020s decades.

Marotta said of Simeone, via Fabrizio Romano, “Reports from Spain on a pre contract agreed between us and Diego Simeone are an absolute fake news. The story is not true at all. We are super happy with our coach Cristian Chivu”.

Chivu isn’t going anywhere. Inter Milan already lost two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi to the Saudi Pro League last summer, so there’s no need to cause anymore trouble or upheaval. Maybe Chivu can be the next great manager in Serie A.