Inter Milan to Face Real Madrid in Champions League Opener; Chivu vs. Mourinho

The upcoming Champions League season will feature a compelling matchup as Inter Milan, under the guidance of Romanian coach Cristian Chivu, is set to face Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in their opening match on September 8. This fixture, revealed in the schedule released by UEFA on Saturday, pits two figures with a shared history at Inter Milan against each other.

Chivu and Mourinho worked together at Inter Milan between 2008 and 2010, a period that saw Mourinho lead the Italian club to a historic Champions League title in 2010, with Chivu as a player on the team. Their reunion on the touchline at the Bernabeu stadium marks a significant moment, highlighting the interconnectedness of top-tier European football.

Following their clash with Real Madrid, Inter Milan's path through the group stage includes matches against FC Bruges, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord Rotterdam, VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool FC, and Slovan Bratislava. Chivu expressed his thoughts on the draw, stating, “The Champions League is a competition that brings together the best of European football. All matches are difficult, and recent editions have confirmed that nothing can be taken for granted. We are facing top clubs. There will be eight very difficult matches, in which we will try to get the most out of ourselves and prove ourselves competitive.”

Real Madrid, the most decorated club in the history of the competition, will also face AS Roma, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, PSV Eindhoven, Arsenal London, LASK Linz, and Shakhtar Donetsk in their group stage fixtures. The opening week of the 2026/2027 Champions League season features a host of other high-profile matches, including Barcelona vs. Feyenoord and Manchester United vs. Sabah FC.

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The Champions League is a competition that brings together the best of European football. All matches are difficult, and recent editions have confirmed that nothing can be taken for granted. We are facing top clubs. There will be eight very difficult matches, in which we will try to get the most out of ourselves and prove ourselves competitive.