Inter playing for Mourinho's future?

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-09 07:59

MILAN, Italy: It may seem unlikely given Jose Mourinho won the Serie A title in his first season in Italy and Inter lead the standings by four points but Wednesday's Champions League clash at home to Rubin Kazan could be the Portuguese coach's last in the competition for the Italians.

If press rumors are to be believed, Inter must qualify for the competition's knockout stages or the former Porto and Chelsea boss will not be given another crack at this competition.

Inter are in pole position to qualify, sitting second in Group F and playing at home in the San Siro.

However, the situation is precarious for both teams, not least because only a victory would guarantee either a place in the last 16.

They are level on six points, two behind Barcelona and one ahead of Dynamo Kiev, having drawn 1-1 when they met in Tatarstan earlier in the competition.

If Dynamo beat Barcelona at home then only a victory could see either Inter or Rubin qualify but if Dynamo fail to win there are several permutations.

A draw of at least 2-2 would then see Rubin through on the away goals rule while 0-0 would see Inter favored for the same reason.

But a 1-1 draw would mean Inter qualify on goals scored - both teams have the same goal difference but the Italians have found the net once more than the Russians.

It means it is risky business for both and should ensure an attacking game in which two teams come to win.

Anything other than a victory could spell the end for Mourinho, according to Inter legend Sandro Mazzola, a striker for the club from 1960-1977.

"If Inter are knocked out after the match against Rubin Kazan, Jose Mourinho will go at the end of the year," he told Italian radio.

"If the Inter coach doesn't win the Champions League and goes out in this way, he himself will go and get a mutual resolution to his contract.

"It would be different, though, if they were to not win it by losing the final to Manchester United or Barcelona."

Mourniho was brought to the club at the beginning of last season after Roberto Mancini was sacked despite winning three Serie A titles in a row.

He paid for his failure in Europe and Mourinho's first campaign ended in the second round.

A failure to even reach that stage would be a disaster.

And it is not just Inter's lack of progress which is a problem for Mourinho, so too are their general results.

They have won only three out of 13 Champions League matches under his guidance and have not won at home in the competition in four matches, dating back to a 1-0 success against Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta in October last year.

Coming off the back of their 2-1 defeat to Juventus in Turin on Saturday, a second major disappointment in a row might be too much for the Inter hierarchy to bear.

And Rubin are no strangers to getting results against Europe's powerhouses.

They have already won 2-1 in the Camp Nou, a stadium where Inter were outplayed and beaten 2-0.

Rubin have also remained unbeaten at home in this competition and speaking to the official Champions League magazine the club's players revealed their Catalonia success was planned down to the last detail by enigmatic coach Kurban Berdyev, a deeply-religious Turkmenistan-born Muslim who relentlessly fiddles with his prayer beads during matches.

They arrived in Barcelona with the express intention of shooting from distance to exploit Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes's propensity to stand off his line and to hit their hosts on the counter-attack. Inter playing for Mourinho's future?

The first tactic served up the opening goal and the second produced their winner.

Berdyev no doubt already has a plan in mind to bring down Inter, which inadvertently might see him also bring down the curtain on Mourinho's stay in Milan.

AFP

(China Daily 12/09/2009 page23)