APPIANO GENTILE - Cristian Chivu spoke to Inter Channel on the eve of Inter v Hellas Verona about his desire to get back into action, the tough time he's had over the last few months, his relationship with his team-mates, the league and - obviously - the Coppa Italia: "I still felt pain after the first operation, so we decided to have a second one. The last four months have not been easy but I'm over it now. The club, my team-mates, everyone has been so helpful. I've never lacked the desire to get back, now I can't wait to play again."
"This team has limitless potential. We've got experienced players, who can decide games on their own, and there are others ready to make the step up. We can fight for the title. I think it's normal there's occasionally a drop in form. We mustn't forget that it's not easy to play Thursday and Sunday. It has an impact, especially given some of the long away trips we've had. Juve? We'll try and win our matches and take advantage if they slip up. They could have a bad run, it wouldn't surprise me, plus the fact they're still in the Champions League will start to take its toll..."
Cristian also spoke about his relationship with Andrea Stramaccioni: "I've got a great relationship with the coach, we talk often. We've got a great team spirit in general. I now hope that Deki can also rejoin the group after the winter break. We had physio together and we really helped each other."
The Romanian's thoughts finally turned to the Coppa Italia: "We're expecting a big game tomorrow, we need to win it. We're lucky enough to play at home and want to get through to the next round."
