Mancini to quit Inter in May

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."

© Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.