Cristian Chivu insisted Inter have never doubted the capabilities of captain Lautaro Martinez after his brace earned the Nerazzurri a 2-0 win over Pisa on Sunday. 

Inter were put through their paces at Arena Garibald and had to wait until the 69th minute to open the scoring when Martinez drilled the ball past Simone Scuffet. 

The Argentine made sure of the points seven minutes from time after turning home Nicolo Barella's teasing cross, sealing a result that got their Scudetto charge back on track.

Following Napoli's 1-0 victory over fellow Serie A title hopefuls Roma later in the day, Chivu's men are now just a point behind rivals AC Milan, who currently occupy top spot.

And on the occasion of his 250th appearance in the top-flight, Martinez netted multiple goals in Serie A for the first time since a 3-2 win against Udinese in September 2024.

Martinez had come under fire after scoring just once in his last six league games coming into the match against Pisa, but he hit back at those critics, much to the delight of Chivu. 

"We know the importance of all our players, especially our captain," Chivu told DAZN Italia. "There might be people outside who doubt him, but we never have.

"It is because we know how much he cares and how much he brings to this team."

Pisa were also the 29th different opponent that Martinez has scored in Serie A. Since his debut season in the division in 2018-19, no player has scored at least one goal against as many different opponents in the competition.

Martinez delivered a captain's performance at a crucial time for Inter, who had suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions against Milan and Atletico Madrid. 

Criticism of Martinez was perhaps unfounded, especially given that since the start of 2025, only five players have registered more goal contributions than the Inter captain (15–12 goals, three assists) in Serie A. 

Chivu did, however, reveal that the 28-year-old was suffering with illness after the Inter boss was questioned about withdrawing him early from their defeat to Atletico in the Champions League on Wednesday. 

"A coach must deal with many things, and if he listens too much to what is said outside, he might lose his clarity," Chivu added.

"When Lautaro is doubted in the media, it is blown out of proportion trying to make headlines.

"We know what he is doing and what he means to this team. He puts his heart and soul into this side, as do all the players."

And while Chivu has made a strong start in his first full campaign with Inter, many have suggested that his position is under threat after failing to register consistent results. 

Inter are handed a 36.3% chance of reclaiming their Serie A crown, the highest probability handed out by the Opta supercomputer, though Chivu said he was not focusing on the outside noise. 

"I know who I am and what I can bring to this team. I put in effort and passion for this work, for an important club like Inter," Chivu said. 

"I've done something good for this club over the years, and being their coach honours me.

“I am aware of the responsibility towards a club that believes in me and towards the fans who have such passion. And towards these marvellous lads, who do everything to honour the Nerazzurri colours."