MILAN, March 11 (Reuters) - Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini
said on Tuesday he wanted to leave the club at the end of the
season.
The 43-year-old coach made the announcement after the Italian
champions were knocked out of the Champions League last 16 after
losing 1-0 at home to Liverpool and 3-0 on aggregate.
'Despite having another four years on my contract, the next two
and a half months will be my last guiding Inter,' he told a shocked
news conference.
'I have told the boys and it's right to tell everyone. It is a
decision I have taken and it does not depend on the defeat
tonight.'
There was no official statement from Serie A leaders Inter and
there had been no hint he would make such an announcement.
The former Fiorentina and Lazio coach has been prone to making
hot-headed decisions and earlier this season refused to speak to
the press for a week because he was angry at reports saying Inter
had been fortunate in several refereeing decisions.
Inter romped to the Italian title under Mancini last season and
are six points clear this term. However, they have limped out of
the Champions League at the first knockout stage for the second
successive season.
Mancini, Inter coach since July 2004, added that he wanted to
leave Inter with another scudetto and an Italian Cup in the
bag.
Inter, who celebrated their centenary at the weekend, also won
the 2005/06 title but it was awarded to them in a courtroom after
Juventus's demotion for match-fixing.
Earlier this season Italian media reports said Inter owner
Massimo Moratti had held talks with former Chelsea boss Jose
Mourinho but the club and the Portuguese denied it.
Talking about the Liverpool defeat, Mancini said playing both
legs with 10 men for a time made life impossible.
'Obviously playing 10 against 11 is the biggest problem and if
you are trying to recover a match you can not do that,' Mancini
said, adding that the refereeing in the second leg had not been
even.
'In the first half there were four
tackles from behind from Liverpool defenders that were never
punished.'
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sore loser! mancini must have thought UCL referees must be as
kelong as italian league referees who alway on their side.
