“I have a contract at Inter. I had to work with a contract that was running out before at Napoli and I did well there.”
Inter came fifth in Serie A and qualified for the Europa League after an inconsistent campaign in which they finished 42 points behind champions Juventus.
Inter fans were quick to express their displeasure during the season, in particular over a botched swap deal involving striker Fredy Guarin and Juve counterpart Mirko Vucinic.
Supporters were also unhappy when Mazzarri did not bring on veteran Javier Zanetti during a 1-0 defeat by AC Milan at the start of May. It would have been the Argentine defender's last Milan derby before he retired after 19 years at the club.
However, club president Thohir made it clear he wanted Mazzarri to stay, saying he would respect the coach's contract, which runs out at the end of next season.
“The important thing is there's great respect between us,” Mazzarri added. “I’m very happy with the phone call that came after the win against Lazio (4-1 in Zanetti’s last game at the San Siro). Thohir called me, happy to have qualified for Europe.”
(Reporting by Terry Daley in Rome; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Share
