Mancini announces intention to resign after Inter's loss to Liverpool
Posted: Tuesday Mar 11, 2008 8:10 PM
MILAN, Italy (AP) -Roberto Mancini is Inter Milan's most successful coach in the last 40 years. Apparently, it isn't enough.
Mancini unexpectedly said Tuesday he would resign at the end of the season - making the announcement immediately following a 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool that eliminated Inter from the European Champions League and sent the Reds to the quarterfinals.
"The next two and a half months will be my last as the manager of the team,'' Mancini said during a post-match press conference. "This is a decision that I had already taken and has nothing to do with the defeat to Liverpool.''
Inter has a six-point lead in Italy's Serie A with 11 games left to play in a season that ends in May.
With Mancini at the helm, Inter has won the last two Italian league titles though the crown two years ago came after league-leader Juventus was stripped of the scudetto in a match-fixing scandal, and last year Juventus was in Serie B while crosstown rival AC Milan began the season with an eight-point penalty in the standings.
Mancini - who had a successful career as a striker for Bologna, Sampdoria and Lazio, joined as Inter's manager in 2004 and led the squad to the Italian Cup title in his first year. He followed that with the two scudettos to end a 17-year drought for Inter.
"We have just been eliminated form the Champions League and it's a big delusion for everybody,'' Inter striker Julio Cruz said regarding Mancini.
Inter president Massimo Moratti declined to comment.
In Tuesday's match against Liverpool, Fernando Torres scored a second-half goal to give the English squad the victory over 10-man Inter Milan.
Liverpool, which won the tournament in 2005 and lost in the final last year, advanced with a 3-0 aggregate after winning 2-0 at Anfield in the first leg three weeks ago.
Torres controlled a cross inside the area and beat Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar with a low shot in the 64th minute. Inter played the last 40 minutes a man down after defender Nicolas Burdisso was sent off with his second yellow card.
Inter also played more than half of the first leg with 10 players on the field after Marco Materazzi received two yellow cards.
Both teams pushed for an early goal: Inter seeking to quickly reduce the first-leg deficit and Liverpool trying to decide the issue.
Inter created the best chances in the first half with Julio Cruz coming close on two occasions. In the 30th, he shot just wide from the side of the box with teammate Dejan Stankovic unmarked in front of the goal, and in the 43rd when he attempted a no-look, behind-the-back shot that Arsenal goalkeeper Pepe Reina was well positioned to save.
But Inter's offensive forays left it vulnerable to counters and Liverpool twice exploited the openings but failed to convert.
Julio Cesar needed to come outside his area in the 25th to cut off a long pass intended for Ryan Babel, and three minutes later blocked a close-range shot from Torres.
"It was a difficult match because Inter is strong, but with 10 players it was hard for them to look for the goal they needed,'' Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "We are going through a good period at the moment, certainly better than Inter.''
And better than Mancini.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...612/index.html
Posted: Tuesday Mar 11, 2008 8:10 PM
MILAN, Italy (AP) -Roberto Mancini is Inter Milan's most successful coach in the last 40 years. Apparently, it isn't enough.
Mancini unexpectedly said Tuesday he would resign at the end of the season - making the announcement immediately following a 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool that eliminated Inter from the European Champions League and sent the Reds to the quarterfinals.
"The next two and a half months will be my last as the manager of the team,'' Mancini said during a post-match press conference. "This is a decision that I had already taken and has nothing to do with the defeat to Liverpool.''
Inter has a six-point lead in Italy's Serie A with 11 games left to play in a season that ends in May.
With Mancini at the helm, Inter has won the last two Italian league titles though the crown two years ago came after league-leader Juventus was stripped of the scudetto in a match-fixing scandal, and last year Juventus was in Serie B while crosstown rival AC Milan began the season with an eight-point penalty in the standings.
Mancini - who had a successful career as a striker for Bologna, Sampdoria and Lazio, joined as Inter's manager in 2004 and led the squad to the Italian Cup title in his first year. He followed that with the two scudettos to end a 17-year drought for Inter.
"We have just been eliminated form the Champions League and it's a big delusion for everybody,'' Inter striker Julio Cruz said regarding Mancini.
Inter president Massimo Moratti declined to comment.
In Tuesday's match against Liverpool, Fernando Torres scored a second-half goal to give the English squad the victory over 10-man Inter Milan.
Liverpool, which won the tournament in 2005 and lost in the final last year, advanced with a 3-0 aggregate after winning 2-0 at Anfield in the first leg three weeks ago.
Torres controlled a cross inside the area and beat Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar with a low shot in the 64th minute. Inter played the last 40 minutes a man down after defender Nicolas Burdisso was sent off with his second yellow card.
Inter also played more than half of the first leg with 10 players on the field after Marco Materazzi received two yellow cards.
Both teams pushed for an early goal: Inter seeking to quickly reduce the first-leg deficit and Liverpool trying to decide the issue.
Inter created the best chances in the first half with Julio Cruz coming close on two occasions. In the 30th, he shot just wide from the side of the box with teammate Dejan Stankovic unmarked in front of the goal, and in the 43rd when he attempted a no-look, behind-the-back shot that Arsenal goalkeeper Pepe Reina was well positioned to save.
But Inter's offensive forays left it vulnerable to counters and Liverpool twice exploited the openings but failed to convert.
Julio Cesar needed to come outside his area in the 25th to cut off a long pass intended for Ryan Babel, and three minutes later blocked a close-range shot from Torres.
"It was a difficult match because Inter is strong, but with 10 players it was hard for them to look for the goal they needed,'' Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "We are going through a good period at the moment, certainly better than Inter.''
And better than Mancini.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...612/index.html
Comment