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Plans have been unveiled by Milan to move to a downsized stadium from San Siro in time for the 2018-19 season.
Milan have released plans for their new stadium, which will be based in the Portello area of the city and have a capacity of 48,000 - drastically less than that of their current home San Siro.
The Serie A club share the stadium with rivals Inter but have begun working with the company behind Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena and the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing on a new venue.
San Siro, which formerly had a capacity of 100,000, currently holds just over 85,000 fans - although Milan attendances have gradually dwindled in recent years.
In a statement confirming the plans, Milan also revealed the stadium would have an 'English model', in that it will be easily reached by public transport.
The stadium will be less than 30 metres high from ground level and be built using soundproofing technologies, to limit noise in what is an urban area.
Announcing their plans, Milan called the potential new structure "A unique place, planned in collaboration with the Milan Polytechnic Architecture Department and that aims to be open seven days a week and not just on match days.
"It plans to hold 48.000 spectators and aims to provide a truly exciting experience with particular attention towards families, with the latest comforts and the best in security."
Roma have confirmied that Juan Iturbe suffered knee and ankle ligament damage in Saturday's draw against Empoli
Juan Iturbe has joined Kevin Strootman on Roma's injury list after suffering damage to his knee and ankle ligaments.
The Argentine midfielder fell awkwardly during Roma's 1-1 Serie A draw with Empoli on Saturday, appearing to catch his foot in the turf, under his body, as he turned.
The club confirmed the extent of the damage sustained in a statement on Sunday.
"Iturbe underwent tests this morning that revealed a distortive trauma to his right knee, with damage to the lateral collateral ligament," it read.
"Iturbe also suffered a strain to his right ankle and potential ligament damage.
"The player has already started treatment on the injury."
The 21-year-old is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which will be a major blow to Roma after Dutch midfielder Strootman last week underwent further surgery on the knee ligament injury which forced him to miss last summer's FIFA World Cup.
But Iturbe remains positive, taking to social media on Sunday to share his thoughts.
"It is hard, but it's the reality. Now is the time to work hard and return stronger," he tweeted.
Mancini plays down spat between Inter´s fans and players
1 February 2015
Inter are desperate to improve, says Roberto Mancini after fans argue with players following their 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo.
Roberto Mancini played down clashes between Inter's players and fans after Sunday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Sassuolo.
Goals from Simone Zaza, Nicola Sansone and Domenico Berardi sent Inter to a second successive Serie A defeat, and their first at the hands of Sassuolo.
Mauro Icardi struck to get Inter back in the fixture at 2-1, before Sansone and Isaac Donkor were sent off, but Berardi secured victory for the hosts.
When Inter's players approached their fans after the final whistle arguments broke out between them, with some supporters throwing shirts back at the players in disgust at their performance.
"Clearly there is some psychological fragility, as at the slightest difficulty they see everything negative," said Mancini.
"However, we absolutely did not deserve to lose this game.
"The players want to win and see they are unlucky hitting the woodwork, so naturally that affects their confidence. It can also explain the tension at the end.
"I am very sorry for the boys and for the fans. Every now and then you can create misunderstandings but I hope everything will be resolved soon because we need our supporters."
Mancini rued mistakes in the Inter defence during the first half as they gifted Sassuolo two goals, but remains confident their luck will change.
He added: "Things are going wrong at the moment, but in the first 20 minutes we played the way we needed to.
"Unfortunately in Italy the only thing anyone cares about is the result, so we hope that can improve quickly."
Victor Ibarbo has joined Roma from Cagliari on an initial loan deal, just a day after Seydou Doumbia moved to Stadio Olimpico.
Roma have completed the signing of Calgliari forward Victor Ibarbo on an initial loan deal with the option to complete a permanent transfer at the end of the season.
The Serie A high-flyers have stumped up an initial €2.5million to take the Colombia international until the end of the campaign and will have to pay another €12.5m to make the move full time.
It marks Roma's second foray into the transfer market in as many days after they striker Seydou Doumbia joined from CSKA Moscow on Saturday.
Ibarbo moved to Cagliari ahead of the 2011-12 season and has gone on to make 115 league appearances, scoring 15 goals.
Head coach Rudi Garcia has moved quick to bolster his forward options after Mattia Destro departed for Serie A rivals Milan on Friday.
Cagliari have also wasted little time in sourcing a replacement for Ibarbo with Paul-Jose M'Poku arriving on loan from Standard Liege.
The 22-year-old left Liege in 2008 for Premier League club Tottenham, but failed to break into the first-team picture at White Hart Lane and returned to the Belgian club in July 2011.
The Bianconeri boss has admitted that he wants to have one more striker in his squad before the close of the winter transfer window
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that the club will either recall Alessandro Matri or re-sign Pablo Osvaldo to replace Sebastian Giovinco.
The Serie A leaders are in need of a new forward after agreeing to allow Giovinco to leave for MLS outfit Toronto and have narrowed their options down to Matri and Osvaldo.
Matri is currently enjoying a successful loan period at Genoa, netting seven times in 16 Serie A appearances, while Osvaldo, who spent six months at Juve last season, is currently on loan at Inter from Southampton.
Allegri refused to be drawn on his preference but did admit that he is desperate to strengthen his attack before the close of the transfer window on Monday after Giovinco, who was initially set to stay until the end of the season, left the club.
"We must replace Giovinco," the Bianconeri boss told Sky Sport Italia. "Four strikers are not enough and it is normal that we need someone else.
"Matri and Osvaldo are both important players but the club will decide who to take based on certain conditions."
Allegri was speaking after Juve missed the opportunity to move nine points clear at the top of Serie A by being held to a 0-0 draw at Udinese.
"We played a horrible first half, giving the ball away without thinking far too much," he added.
"Things went better in the second half but we still found ourselves faced with a team playing with great intensity.
"So, I consider it a fair result, as we could even have lost.
"Seven points is nearly three games but there's still a lot of the league left to play. Indeed, we must not forget that victories are twice as valuable in the second half of the season, because slowly but surely you lose that freshness.
"So, we have to play better, with great precision from a technical point of view."
The 50-year-old has defended his side's form after the Nerazzurri slipped to 12th in the Serie A standings following a dismal 3-1 loss at Sassuolo
Roberto Mancini insists that Inter are playing well at the moment and did not deserve to lose their last two Serie A games.
The Nerazzurri followed up a 1-0 defeat at home to Torino on January 25 with a 3-1 reversal at Sassuolo on Sunday to slip to 12th in the Serie A standings.
Mancini conceded that mistakes were made - particularly in defence - in their latest setback, at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore, with Simone Zaza and Nicolas Sansone both netting inside the opening half hour, before Domenico Berardi sealed Inter's fate with a late penalty.
However, the 50-year-old, who has now overseen four Serie A defeats since replacing Walter Mazzarri as coach in November, rejected the suggestion that he got his tactics wrong at Sassuolo and claimed that they were unlucky to lose.
"I don't think that we took the wrong approach to the game," the Inter boss told Sky Sport Italia. "We played well in the first half but we conceded a goal from Sassuolo's first chance.
"We made some errors in certain situations and we gave them a second goal but in the first 20 minutes of the game, and in the second half, we played well.
"We made some errors at the back. We know that their attackers are good and we left them too much space.
"We're improving in possession of the ball but we need to do better in the offensive phase in the final third.
"So, things are going badly right now for us and it's clear that we must improve in many aspects. We're also a little fragile because the slightest difficulty adds to the negativity.
"But we're trying to play. I'm disappointed for the boys. They absolutely did not deserve to lose these last two games.
"But results are what count and, at the moment, we're not doing well. However, we will continue working hard to try to win. That's all we can do."
Inter next travel to the San Paolo in midweek for a Coppa Italia semi-final showdown with Napoli.
Strootman out for the season, confirms Roma boss Garcia
By Miles Chambers
Feb 1, 2015 13:03:00
The coach has admitted that the Dutchman will not return in 2014-15, while the capital club have also revealed that Juan Iturbe is also set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines
Roma boss Rudi Garcia has confirmed fears that midfielder Kevin Strootman will be out for the remainder of the season.
Despite initial claims from the player and his coach that the Dutch midfielder would only be sidelined for a short length of time, the subsequent operation discovered significant damage in his knee that was not expected.
Initially, the club did not reveal when the perennially injured player would return but, following the Giallorossi's 1-1 draw with Empoli on Saturday, Garcia confessed that Strootman would not be back in action until 2015-16.
"Losing him, especially after a long injury, is a catastrophe for us," he told reporters after the game. "The season is over for Strootman."
Roma's injury list, which also includes Daniele De Rossi and Federico Balzaretti, grew even longer on Saturday when Argentine attacker Juan Iturbe was forced off in the first half against Empoli.
"Iturbe underwent tests this morning that revealed a distortive trauma to his right knee, with damage to the lateral collateral ligament," the club said in a statement.
"Iturbe also suffered a strain to his right ankle and potential ligament damage. The player has already started treatment on the injury."
Although Roma once again refused to predict when Iturbe will have recovered from ligament damage in both his knee and his ankle, it is widely expected that the 21-year-old will not make another appearance for the Italian giants this campaign.
Davide Santon has officially rejoined Serie A club Inter from Newcastle United on an initial loan deal.
Inter have confirmed the return of Davide Santon on loan from Newcastle United, with the Italian club retaining the option to make the move permanent.
Santon confirmed the switch earlier on Monday when he took to Facebook to state he was returning to San Siro.
The full-back departed San Siro for Premier League club Newcastle in August 2011 and has largely been a first-team regular at St James' Park.
However, a knee injury has plagued Santon this term and he has failed to make a single league appearance in 2014-15.
"Internazionale is pleased to announce the return on Davide Santon," read a statement on the club's official website. "Santon joins on loan with the right to purchase."
Elsewhere at Inter, teenage forward Federico Bonazzoli has been sold to fellow Serie A outfit Sampdoria.
The 17-year-old will remain on loan with Roberto Mancini's side for the rest of the campaign
The attacker has completed his move to MLS, with the reigning Italian champions now set to bring in Alessandro Matri or Pablo Osvaldo
Juventus have confirmed that Sebastian Giovinco has left the Serie A champions for Toronto with immediate effect.
The Italy international was already due to join the MLS side on a free transfer at the end of the 2014-15 campaign, but he has now made the move to Canada early.
"Sebastian Giovinco has today ended his time in Turin and completed a move to MLS Soccer side Toronto," a statement on the official Juventus website reads.
"A Bianconeri academy graduate alongside Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie, Giovinco first came to the attention of fans in May 2007, when he emerged from the substitutes bench to weigh in with a fine assist for David Trezeguet on his debut against Bologna.
"His last appearance, a man-of-the-match display in the Bianconeri's 6-1 Coppa Italia last 16 drubbing of Hellas Verona on 15 January at Juventus Stadium, ultimately proved to be a fitting send off for a player who has always held the black and white stripes dear to his heart.
"Everyone associated with Juventus Football Club would like to thank Seba for all his efforts and wish him every success for his new adventure in Canada."
Giovinco is expected to form an attacking duo with former Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore at Toronto, with ex-Roma midfielder Michael Bradley another high-profile name at the MLS outfit.
The 27-year-old's January exit means Juventus are likely to bring in another attacker on deadline day, with Inter's Pablo Osvaldo and Alessandro Matri the two main candidates to fill the void left by Giovinco.
The Italy international has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with the club where he started his professional career
AC Milan have announced on their official website that they have secured the services of Luca Antonelli from Genoa for an undisclosed fee.
The 27-year-old has signed a contract until June 2018 with the San Siro side and will be wearing the No.31 jersey at his new club.
Antonelli is a product of the Milan youth academy, but failed to break into the first team at San Siro during his initial spell at the club. He was farmed out on loan to Bari in 2007-08 before he was offloaded to Parma on a permanent basis in 2008.
He then joined Genoa in 2011 and had since developed into a key player at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, eventually earning himself a return to his boyhood club.
The left-back is Milan's fifth signing of the January transfer window after the arrivals of Alessio Cerci, Salvatore Bocchetti, Mattia Destro and Suso, with Gabriel Paletta set to become their sixth signing later on Monday.
Alessandro Matri could lift a third Scudetto with Juventus this season after agreeing a loan move from Genoa until the end of the season.
Serie A leaders Juventus have moved quickly to replace Sebastian Giovinco with the loan signing of former striker Alessandro Matri.
The 30-year-old agreed a return to Juve until the end of the season on Monday after 17 months away from the club with Milan, Fiorentina and more recently Genoa.
In his first spell Matri lifted two league titles, scoring 36 goals in 125 appearances in all competitions.
He is also reunited with head coach Massimiliano Allegri, after the pair shared time together at Milan before Allegri was relieved of his duties and Matri went on to Florence.
After seven goals in 16 league appearances this season, Allegri has brought the forward back to the club, with the hope he can claim a third Scudetto.
Matri arrives hours after Sebastian Giovinco was allowed to leave his contract six months early and join Toronto FC ahead of schedule.
Serie A Review: Gabbiadini opens Napoli account on dark day for Inter
1 February 2015
Napoli were the big winners at the top of Serie A this weekend as they beat Chievo 2-1 to close the gap on Roma and Juventus.
Napoli maintained their pursuit of Serie A's top two on Sunday as Manolo Gabbiadini helped Rafael Benitez's side to a 2-1 victory over Chievo at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Roma's mid-season struggles continued on Saturday as Rudi Garcia's men were held at home by Empoli and, with leaders Juventus also held a day later by Udinese, Napoli were able to move closer to the leading pair.
Bostjan Cesar's own-goal gave Napoli a headstart in Verona but the hosts were level at the break when Miguel Britos got in on the act with an error of his own.
However, Gabbiadini proved the hero as the recent signing from Sampdoria opened his account for Napoli with a smart finish from inside the area 28 minutes from time.
The win leaves Napoli just four points off Roma in second but five clear of Lazio in fourth after Stefano Pioli's men suffered a surprise defeat to lowly Cesena.
Having beaten bottom side Parma last time out, Gregoire Defrel's opener and a Danilo Cataldi own-goal ensured an upset at Stadio Dino Manuzzi with Milan ending their winless Serie A run against Parma.
Filippo Inzaghi's men went in search of their first league success since mid-December and gained it thanks largely to a Jeremy Menez brace either side of Antonio Nocerino's leveller.
Experienced defender Cristia Zaccardo made sure of the points with a third 14 minutes from time to move Milan up to eighth and compound Parma's troubles at the bottom of the table.
Inter endured a bad day at the office as players clashed with fans following their 3-1 defeat at Sassuolo - Simone Zaza, Nicola Sansone and Domenico Berardi on target for the hosts.
Mancini's side turned in a tepid showing and saw Inter fans hurl back their players' shirts from the crowd following a defeat in which both sides ended with 10 men.
Samuel Eto'o's Sampdoria's debut was one to forget for the Cameroonian as Torino ran out 5-1 winners at Stadio Olimpico di Torino while Atalanta and Palermo were 2-1 winners over Cagliari and Hellas Verona respectively.
Roma´s Garcia thrilled with Doumbia and Ibarbo arrivals
2 February 2015
After bolstering Roma's forward ranks with Seydou Doumbia and Victor Ibarbo, head coach Rudi Garcia praised the club's transfer business.
Roma coach Rudi Garcia is delighted to have Seydou Doumbia on board and believes fellow new signing Victor Ibarbo can become a "champion".
The Ivory Coast international Doumbia arrived at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, after a prolific spell with Russian Premier League champions CSKA Moscow - for whom he scored 83 goals in 129 appearaces.
Forward Ibarbo subsequently joined on Sunday from fellow Serie A side Cagliari on an initial loan deal with Roma able to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
Roma acted quickly to offset the loss of Mattia Destro to Milan last week and Garcia is itching to welcome Doumbia back from Africa Cup of Nations duty, while Ibarbo may be given a chance to play in Tuesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final tie with Fiorentina.
"There's nothing more to say about Doumbia," Garcia said.
"The numbers speak for themselves. At the end of next week he'll return [from the Africa Cup of Nations], along with Gervinho.
"For me, Ibarbo can become a champion, but I have to consider whether he's ready, I won't take risks with him.
"If he can help us [against Fiorentina] so be it, but I have to assess him."
Roma head into the contest with Fiorentina on the back of a fourth Serie A draw in a row as their clash with Empoli ended all-square at 1-1.
Garcia is understandably frustrated by the run, but remains determined to find a winning solution.
"We've got a serious case of 'draw-itis' and we need to sort the issue we have in the first half," he added.
"We're just as disappointed as anyone about our recent run of draws but let's get behind the guys. We'll do our best tomorrow. We've met Fiorentina twice and they're always a quality side.
"To get luck back on our side we need to push even harder from the first whistle. Those who know me will tell you when the going gets tough I just work harder."
Rumours have gathered pace that Samuel Eto'o is to leave Sampdoria, but the club's president has moved to end the speculation.
Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has played down rumours that Samuel Eto'o will tear up his contract less than a week after joining the club from Everton.
Reports emerged in Italy that Eto'o was set to walk away from the Serie A side due to an argument with head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic over his intention to hold a double training session on Monday.
Ferrero has moved quickly to quash the speculation and, although he admitted there was a disagreement between the pair, he urged for everyone to remain calm about the issue.
"Nothing has happened," he told Calciomercato.it.
"It was just a small argument. An exchange of views. Stay calm, the club is united."
Eto'o made his Sampdoria debut as a substitute in Sunday's 5-1 mauling at the hands of Torino.
Holders Napoli host Inter in the Coppa Italia with visiting coach Roberto Mancini hoping for a change of fortune in the quarter-final.
Inter will hope to stem growing pressure on coach Roberto Mancini when they travel to Napoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
Sunday's 3-1 loss at Sassuolo - a team they beat 7-0 earlier in the campaign and by the same scoreline last season - left Inter a lowly 13th in the Serie A standings.
Mancini returned for a second spell at San Siro in November, having won three Scudetti and two Coppa Italia crowns first time around, with the team 12 points off the pace.
Inter are now a huge 24 points behind leaders Juventus following Sunday's setback, leaving the Coppa Italia and the return to UEFA Europa League action later this month as the remaining opportunities to salvage a dismal season to date.
By contrast, Coppa holders Napoli moved to within four points of second-placed Roma courtesy of a 2-1 win at Chievo last time out in Serie A- Manolo Gabbiadini opening his account for Rafael Benitez's men by grabbing the winning goal.
"He can play in four different positions in attack," Benitez told Sky Sport Italia when discussing his January buy from Sampdoria.
"He doesn't give defenders a point of reference, so it's very difficult to control him. With these attacking options now, we can deal with two or three games a week."
Gabbiadini could be joined in the Napoli attack by Marek Hamsik, who was rested against Chievo, while defender Kalidou Koulibaly is back from suspensions.
Inter's board have allowed Mancini to be active in the transfer market in order to turn their season around, with new recruits Lukas Podolski and Xherdan Shaqiri starting together in the forward line for the first time at Sassuolo.
Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic came off the bench and could be in line for a first start following his move from Dinamo Zagreb last week.
Mancini will be without Issac Donkor after the young defender's full debut ended with a late red card on Sunday, although his defence has been bolstered by Davide Santon's loan return to San Siro from Newcastle United.
Mauro Icardi and Fredy Guarin angrily remonstrated with Inter fans after the Sassuolo defeat but will be in contention for Wednesday night's match after Mancini played down the incident.
Algeria's elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations means Napoli and Inter can once again call upon Faouzi Ghoulam and Saphir Taider respectively.
Napoli drew 2-2 at Inter when the team met in the league in October, with Jose Callejon netting a brace.
Roma v Fiorentina: Determined Garcia eyes Coppa respite
1 February 2015
Roma must "grit their teeth" if they are to progress in Tuesday's Coppa Italia quater-final with Fiorentina, according to coach Rudi Garcia.
Roma coach Rudi Garcia has urged his side to show their mental strengths against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday after some disappointing Serie A results of late.
Serie A's second-place side have flattered to deceive since the turn of the year - only beating Udinese in the league and getting past Empoli in the Coppa - with the Italian title looking increasingly likely to stay at Juventus this term.
Four draws in January have left Garcia frustrated but, with the prospect of a final-four clash against Juve on the horizon, the Frenchman feels Roma must show determination to get back to winning ways.
Garcia will be without recent signing Seydou Doumbia following his move from CSKA Moscow as well as fellow Ivory Coast team-mate Gervinho after the Elephants progressed to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final with victory over Algeria on Sunday.
"Technically and tactically we know exactly what we need to do and we need to shake off this bit of bad luck that's been following us around for a while," Garcia is quoted by the club's official website.
"We'll do better once I have more options to pick my team from - I don't have many at the moment.
"We just have to grit our teeth and do everything possible to get back to winning ways, starting this Tuesday.
"We're focusing only on the next game: we have three days to recover before our cup tie with Fiorentina when we want to reach the semis."
Vincenzo Montella's men have been in somewhat ruder health since the turn of the year - winning three and drawing two of their last six outings - including a 3-1 quarter-final victory against Atalanta.
While Fiorentina are continuing to adjust to the absence of Chelsea-bound Juan Cuadrado, club favourite Alberto Gilardino made his return off the bench in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Genoa following a loan move from Guangzhou Evergrande.
Despite Cuadrado's impending move to Stamford Bridge, Montella may opt to name Mario Gomez in the starting XI after he was rested at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.
"When an important player leaves just before a match there's inevitably some distraction but once the whistle blows you're fully focused on the task at hand," Montella told reporters of Cuadrado.
"The players have the chance to prove that even without Cuadrado they're capable of performing well.
"[Gomez has] played a lot of games recently and we have lots of strikers now. It was just a case of managing our resources."
Sampdoria have swooped to sign Ezequiel Munoz on loan from fellow Serie A side Palermo.
Palermo defender Ezequiel Munoz has joined Sampdoria on loan until the end of the season.
The Argentine centre-back has reportedly refused to sign a new contract at Stadio Renzo Barbera, with his current deal set to expire in June.
Subsequently, he has been shipped out on loan to fellow Serie A side Sampdoria - with Milan thought to be interested in swooping for his signature at the end of the campaign.
Munoz has made 131 appearances and scored five goals during his four-and-a-half-season stay at Palermo.
The 24-year-old started his career with Boca Juniors in his homeland and has represented his country at Under-17 and Under-20 level.
Davide Santon has officially rejoined Serie A club Inter from Newcastle United on an initial loan deal.
Inter have confirmed the return of Davide Santon on loan from Newcastle United, with the Italian club retaining the option to make the move permanent.
Santon confirmed the switch earlier on Monday when he took to Facebook to state he was returning to San Siro.
The full-back departed San Siro for Premier League club Newcastle in August 2011 and has largely been a first-team regular at St James' Park.
However, a knee injury has plagued Santon this term and he has failed to make a single league appearance in 2014-15.
"Internazionale is pleased to announce the return on Davide Santon," read a statement on the club's official website. "Santon joins on loan with the right to purchase."
Elsewhere at Inter, teenage forward Federico Bonazzoli has been sold to fellow Serie A outfit Sampdoria.
The 17-year-old will remain on loan with Roberto Mancini's side for the rest of the campaign.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez does not think his former club Inter are in a crisis ahead of Wednesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final.
Rafael Benitez does not feel his Napoli side will encounter an Inter team in crisis during Wednesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final at Stadio San Paolo.
Inter have lost their last two Serie A games, with Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo leading to angry exchanges between players and fans after the full-time whistle.
However, Benitez - who endured a short-lived six-month spell in charge of Inter five years ago - holds no grudges and maintains Inter remain a big club despite their 13th-place ranking in the league.
"We are the champions of the Coppa and, as I said, we want to honour the title and continue on our way," Benitez told Tuesday's news conference.
"First of all, I do not think Inter is in crisis. Inter is a prestigious club and has many great people. They are not having an easy time in the league but this can happen.
"In football, luck often counts and can mean an unfavourable period. I have only good memories, I won two titles and I left many friends.
"In Naples, I immediately knew what was required of me. I was happy from day one and now we are here trying to go yet further, for me, the future can be even more positive."
In stark contrast to Inter, Napoli have lost just once since the turn of the year - to league leaders Juventus - and will be favourites to ensure a final-four meeting with Lazio.
"We know the value of our opponent," he added.
"We are aware that it will take a great performance to try to qualify."
Roberto Mancini has called for Inter to develop a big-club mentality in order to arrest their poor run of form.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini has urged his side to develop a strong mentality and learn to deal with criticism as they bid to salvage something from their season.
The Serie A club go into Wednesday's Coppa Italia quarter-final against Napoli licking their wounds after back-to-back league defeats.
The most recent setback came against Sassuolo, prompting angry confrontations between players and fans afterwards - involving most notably striker Mauro Icardi.
After Inter fans threw players' shirts back from the crowd, the Argentine reacted angrily and Mancini told reporters on Tuesday his team needed to accept flak that comes their way.
"Icardi made a mistake, because we need to accept criticism," the Italian explained.
"I told him he shouldn't have gone to the stands, because it was only to be expected that the fans would be angry.
"Having said that, the Inter fans have always stuck with the team and I'm sure they'll continue to do so.
"The lads need to have a big-club mentality and that's what they're doing but what's clear to all is that we're making too many mistakes at the minute.
"I always knew there would be some difficulties in terms of changing the playing system and mentality after two years, but I’m happy with how the squad is doing.
"We need to arrest this trend, score more goals and try not to concede."
A semi-final against Lazio awaits the winners of Wednesday's clash, with Rafael Benitez's Napoli having lost just once since the turn of the year.
"Anything can happen tomorrow – the gap between us and Napoli in the league is irrelevant," Mancini added.
"We hold the Coppa in high regard and want to perform well."
