Cristian Chivu insisted he is not worried about Inter's poor form ahead of their Serie A clash with Roma on Sunday.
Inter have seen their lead at the summit cut down to just six points after dropping points in each of their last three games.
After a loss to rivals AC Milan, who are second in Serie A, Inter drew 1-1 with both Atalanta and Fiorentina ahead of the international break.
Inter also drew 0-0 in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, while they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt in February.
Nevertheless, Chivu has full confidence in his side ahead of a tough test against Roma.
"I'm dealing with great champions from a human point of view," said Chivu.
"They showed it to me this year and in past seasons, where they always bounced back and fought back.
"They learned that being part of a team sometimes you fall and you don't reach your goal, but what counts is your reaction and your character, and what they show for their teammates and the respect for the club they represent, as well as the love of the fans.
"Disappointments are part of the game and we have to accept that. I'm not worried. They've shown themselves to be men with values and quality since I arrived here."
Roma have also struggled in recent weeks, winning just one of their last four league games (D1 L2) while getting knocked out of the Europa League by Bologna.
The Giallorossi are three points off the Champions League places, and Gian Piero Gasperini believes there is now very little room for error.
"The team did play well in the last few games, with good fitness levels and mentality, but they didn't always lead to victories," said Gasperini.
"The two Europa League games with Bologna were not exactly lucky for us.
"The fact remains, we are in the final sprint, so let's tighten up the straps and get pedalling hard. We're at a stage now where there's less and less margin for error."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter – Francesco Pio Esposito
Francesco Pio Esposito (20 years and 281 days old on Sunday) could become only the second Inter player in the last 35 years to score in a Serie A match between Roma and Inter as an under 21 player, after Mario Balotelli, who netted a brace against the Giallorossi at 18 years and 201 days old in March 2009.
Roma – Donyell Malen
Since his arrival at Roma in mid-January, Donyell Malen has been the top scorer in Serie A with seven goals.
Only three players in Roma's history have scored more goals exclusively in the second half of a single top-flight season: Vincenzo Montella in 2001-02 (13), Lorenzo Bettini in 1953-54 (nine), and Stephan El Shaarawy in 2015-16 (eight).
MATCH PREDICTION – INTER WIN
This fixture will be the 186th meeting between the two teams in the top-flight, equalling the record for the most matches between two sides in the history of the competition, a record also held by Juventus and Inter.
The matchup between Roma and Inter has seen the most total goals in Serie A history, with 533 goals scored across 185 encounters (300 for the Nerazzurri and 233 for the Giallorossi – an average of 2.9 goals per game).
Roma are the side against whom Inter have won the most Serie A matches, with 80 victories from 185 games (D54 L51).
After a run of six consecutive draws between Inter and Roma, there have been no draws in their last 10 Serie A meetings (eight wins for the Nerazzurri, two for the Giallorossi).
However, Inter have not won any of their last three Serie A matches (D2 L1) and could go four consecutive league games without a win for the first time since between March and April 2023, when they went five matches (D1 L4) under Simone Inzaghi.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter – 56.3%
Draw – 23.4%
Roma – 20.3%