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Head coach Mancini has left Inter, agent claims

28/05/2008

Roberto Mancini's agent has claimed the Inter Milan manager has left the club and is set to be replaced by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

The Italian has been rumoured to be on the way out of the San Siro for much of the second half of this season, despite leading the team to the Serie A title for a third consecutive year.

After Inter's Champions League elimination at the hands of Liverpool in February he announced to the press that he would be stepping down as coach at the end of the season.

Mancini later retracted the statement and said he wanted to continue, but the knee-jerk proclamation immediately sparked rumours that out-of-work Mourinho - who openly said he wanted to work in Spain or Italy after he left Chelsea - was being lined up as the new boss.

And now, according to Maurizio de Giorgis, Mancini has been axed following a 25-minute meeting with club president Massimo Moratti.

De Giorgis told TV station Sportitalia: "Roberto never expected it to end like this.

"As an outsider, I could rationally understand that something was not right, but that is the way things have gone.

"Roberto is very disappointed also because he has not yet finished his job - he wanted to try and win even more league titles, and maybe even the Champions League.

"Now Mourinho will arrive and he has only got to repeat what has happened in the last few years."

De Giorgis also said his client was "considering making a statement to avoid gossip" and in the statement he would praise the president and his staff.

But he added: "Certainly [Mancini] is shocked and has taken it badly.

"I have spoken with him and he sounded quite down, but tomorrow will be even worse."