A former Champions League and Serie A winner now looks unrecognisable a decade on from his retirement.
The former defender played for Ajax for four years before moving to Italy where he spent 14 years playing for Roma and Inter Milan.
He was part of the historic Inter team that won the treble under the guidance of Jose Mourinho in the 2009-10 season.
A photo has emerged of Cristian Chivu after he stepped down from his role as the manager of Inter’s Under-19 side without his iconic head gear.
The 43-year-old became synonymous with wearing a headgear towards the last four years of his career after suffering in injury.
A former Champions League and Serie A winner looks unrecognisable from his playing days
Former Inter Milan defender Cristian Chivu became synonymous with wearing a headgear
He was forced to wear it after fracturing his skull during a Serie match in January 2010, an injury that saw him sidelined for almost three months.
Now that he is no longer a player, fans may find it a little more difficult to identify him away from the pitch.
Chivu was prominently a centre-back but Mourinho used him as a left-back during the hugely successful that saw Inter win the Serie A title, Champions League and Coppa Italia in the 2009-10 season.
He was part of a formidable defence, with Walter Samuel and Lúcio used as the two-centre-backs.
At international level, Chivu made 75 appearances for Romania and was part of their squads for Euro 2000 and 2008.
Chivu left his role as manager of Inter Milan’s Under-19 side in May after three years
His Inter contract was terminated in March 2014 and he announced his retirement on the same day.
Chivu returned to the Italian giants as their U-19 manager in 2021 and in May this year announced his departure.