San Siro resumes its league rhythm with Inter at the summit and Parma beginning again under a new voice. The sixth round brings Cristian Chivu’s side back from the international break unbeaten, alongside Roma and Lazio, while the visitors arrive with Alberto Gilardino charged with steering them clear of the relegation places after Carlos Cuesta’s unexpected departure.
The coach and the club
For Chivu, Parma’s visit carries a personal thread: he meets a club from his past while protecting Inter’s position at the top of Serie A. The Inter coach expects Gilardino’s first match in charge to add uncertainty to the contest, but insisted that his own side must remain centred on its established strengths.
“Gilardino’s arrival makes Parma a little more unpredictable,” Chivu said before kick-off. “It is difficult to know exactly how they will approach San Siro. We have to focus on ourselves and on our values.”
He also welcomed the condition of his internationals after the break. Chivu was pleased to see Alessandro Bastoni influential for Italy in a four-man defence, saying the defender enjoyed the experience, and confirmed that every player had returned without injury.
Chivu pointed to the international standing earned by his attacking options, highlighting Diouf’s progress at a major club and noting that Pio Esposito has already been involved at that level for some time. Both, he said, give Inter another important dimension in the forward department.
Parma chief executive Federico Cherubini explained that the decision to part ways with Cuesta was made before results forced the issue. Cuesta had been appointed in what Cherubini described as a bold move a year earlier, during a difficult campaign which had ultimately brought the group together.
This season, however, Cherubini felt Parma had not responded to adversity with the same unity. “It was better to separate while things were still relatively positive,” he said. “We did it after a win because it would have been unfair to wait for a bad moment.”
Cherubini acknowledged the challenge of regularly losing key players, but stressed that Parma must balance competitiveness with financial sustainability. Serie A status, he said, cannot be treated as guaranteed, even as the club seeks to raise its ambitions.
Gilardino was presented as a coach chosen for his qualities rather than his playing reputation. Cherubini praised his humility and calmness, saying the former forward had earned his coaching opportunity from the bottom up and arrived motivated to rebuild his standing with Parma.
Defender Troilo said Gilardino’s first instruction had been straightforward: remain calm and concentrate on the work prepared over recent weeks.
Two teams, one restart
Inter begin the evening as league leaders and return to domestic action at 18:00 in Milan after the extended international pause. Parma, meanwhile, face a difficult first examination for their new coach in a stadium that rarely allows visitors much time to settle.
Both managers selected a 3-5-2 formation for the match.
| Inter | Parma |
|---|---|
| J. Martinez | Corvi |
| Pavard, Bisseck, Carlos Augusto | Troilo, Diego Carlos, Delprato |
| Diouf, Sucic, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco | Carboni, Fabbian, Sierro, Keita, Valeri |
| Thuram, Pio Esposito | Touré, Elphege |
| Coach: Cristian Chivu | Coach: Alberto Gilardino |
The benches at San Siro
Chivu has Di Gennaro, Provedel, Stankovic, Zielinski, Lautaro, Luis Henrique, Bonny, Barella, Akanji, Bovio, Bastoni and Spence available among his substitutes.
Gilardino’s options include Ghidotti, Daffara, Diallo Thiao, Cremaschi, Romero, Bernabé, Frigan, Britschgi, Ordonez, Konaté, D. Diallo, Drobnic and Lontani.
For Inter, the task is to carry first place through the return from international duty. For Parma, this is the opening page of Gilardino’s tenure: a demanding evening, but also an immediate chance to bring clarity and composure to a side looking down the table rather than up it.
