On March 31st, Cristian Chivu announced that he was finally hanging up his boots after his contract with Inter had been ended by mutual consent.
To many, it was no surprise as the Romanian international had seen his stock with the Nerazzurri decline over the past few seasons due to a series of injuries that had rendered the 2010 Champions League winner a shell of the player that fans had grown to respect for his all-action displays for his club.
After beginning his professional career with two sides in his native country (Resita and Universitatea Craiova) where he honed his defensive skills, he earned himself a transfer to Dutch giants Ajax shortly before his 19th birthday in 1999. It was there, under the tutelage of manager Ronald Koeman, who eventually appointed him as club captain, that he began to really establish himself as a free-kick specialist, something that would come in handy as various points during his career.
It was also with Ajax that Chivu got his first taste of truly playing football on the continent’s biggest stage, as he was part of the side that nearly made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League during the 2002-2003 season; additionally, he would come across future Inter teammates Wesley Sneijder, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Maxwell.
It would also turn out to be his last in the Eredivisie, as, quite akin to a university graduate in the United States who earns a bachelor’s degree after four years, the then 22-year-old effectively “graduated” from Ajax, a breeding ground for some of Serie A’s top talents.
However, his move from the Netherlands to Italy’s capital nearly failed to go through for one of the very basic reasons why there exists problems in this world – money. However, after a transfer affair that, like a bad soap opera, never seemed to end, the young Romanian finally became a Roma player and quickly established himself as a reliable, versatile defender in the Giallorossi’s starting XI.
Yet, after a successful debut season in which he made 28 appearances in all competitions for his new club, his sophomore term in Italian football’s top flight was largely a disappointment as injuries restricted him to just 15 outings – yet interestingly, he still managed to score a couple of goals.
While one could argue, at least on a personal level that Chivu’s time with the capital club was fairly successful as his stock in Serie A began to rise, on a team basis, he only managed to win one solitary title, the Coppa Italia in the 2006-2007 season, which also turned out to be his final one in Rome. That summer, he would eventually make yet another move, this time, to the team in which he would eventually win not just the Scudetto, but also arguably the biggest prize in European football that had eluded him whilst at Ajax, the Champions League.
Although linked with La Liga duo Real Madrid and Barcelona, it was Inter that successfully secured his services during the 2007 summer transfer window and immediately, the Romanian international hit the ground running at his new home. Having featured nearly 40 times (37 to be exact) for the Nerazzurri that season, he finally was able to win a league title, the first of three during his time in Milan.
And, despite making less appearances the following year, his terrific performance in the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester United was particularly noteworthy as not only was he able to keep the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo at bay, but also was instrumental in his side earning a vital 0-0 draw at home. While Inter would be eventually eliminated in the second leg, he still finished the season with another Scudetto in hand as well as was recognized by his native country as the nation’s top footballer for the second time.
Yet, following the Nerazzurri’s historic treble triumph the following season, in which they also added a Supercoppa Italiana and a Club World Cup later on in 2010, Chivu began to see his role at the club slowly start to decline, in particular after the 2010-2011 season, which also happened to be the same year that he announced his retirement from international football in May.
After seeing his playing time increasingly reduced due to injuries and other issues, in which he made a total of 37 appearances from 2011-2013, coupled with more fitness woes that saw him fail to make any appearances this season, he eventually chose to call time on a decorated career that saw him win silverware with three teams in two different countries.
