De Boer back in the firing line after Inter defeat

MILAN (Reuters) - Inter Milan returned to crisis mode on Monday after defeat to Sampdoria at the weekend prompted another wave of speculation surrounding the future of coach Frank de Boer.

De Boer back in the firing line after Inter defeat

(Reuters)

The Dutchman had earned some respite in midweek when Inter beat Torino to end a three-game losing streak, but Sunday's 1-0 loss has piled the pressure back on.

"De Boer, it's finished" read a Corriere dello Sport headline after Inter, enduring a fifth season without Champions League football, dropped to 11th in Serie A.

De Boer, who had never previously coached or played in Italy, was appointed only two weeks before the start of the season after Roberto Mancini left by mutual consent.

He is Inter's eighth coach since Jose Mourinho left in 2010 after winning a Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble.

De Boer said slow starts and players failing to win their individual battles were to blame for the malaise.

"I'm happy to be here and I believe we can change this situation," the Dutchman said after the game. "The situation is difficult and I see that we perform well in fits and starts but not for a whole match.

"We improved a lot in the second half but we cannot keep starting like this. It's a question of mentality and I cannot accept it because we have quality in this team.

"I didn't see us with the character and confidence we needed to win the duels," he added.

"Lots of the players didn't play to their best. I was angry at half time."

Asked about his position as coach, he said: "You'll have to talk to the club."

Corriere dello Sport listed Brazilian Leonardo, Frenchman Laurent Blanc and Italians Francesco Guidolin and Stefano Pioli as favourites to replace De Boer should he leave.

(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Peter Rutherford)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world