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Filippo Inzaghi is confident of turning around Milan's form and says he has the backing of the club's hierarchy.
Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi insists he does not fear for his job, despite the San Siro outfit's disappointing run of form.
Inzaghi's men have won just one of their last seven fixtures in all competitions and were held to a 1-1 home draw by Empoli in Serie A last time out.
The sequence has seen pressure mounting on the former Italy international, but Inzaghi is confident of turning things around.
"To salvage our season we need to start playing like Milan again," he said on Saturday. "I take things one game at a time.
"At the moment we need to rediscover our identity, confidence and enthusiasm.
"I feel the faith from the president [Silvio Berlusconi] and CEO [Adriano] Galliani every day. The President called me yesterday morning at 8.15 to tell me that he was sorry he couldn't visit.
"They believe in my work and they have also realised that the injuries have penalised us a bit, but this takes nothing away from the fact that we should have done more.
"The president reassures me a lot and for this I thank him. I have a contract with Milan and I know of the respect that the club directors have in me. I will move forwards and then we shall see what happens."
Milan have only managed to attract around 25,000 fans to their last three home matches and Inzaghi believes his side must work hard to increase the numbers coming through the turnstiles.
"It isn't easy to play at San Siro, even if our fans have been very good and patient," he said. "The best medicine right now for us is to give a good performance.
"It annoys me when people say that the players work little, because it isn't true and it isn't right to talk about players that always give their all. I am sad that fictitious things are said.
"We have worked very hard this month to be able to play with greater intensity.
"I'm not looking for excuses, we should have done a lot more, but when we had 90 per cent of the squad available we were third in the league table and I think this counts for something.
"There were many fans during the first match of the year against Sassuolo. It takes very little to win them back and bring them back to the stadium.
"We're not doing that at the moment and we are sorry about it. We need to show the fans what we can do out on the pitch."
After a significant downpour at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa's Derby della Lanterna clash with Sampdoria has been postponed.
Saturday's highly anticipated Derby della Lanterna between Sampdoria and Genoa has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
The bitter rivals sit side-by-side on 35 points in Serie A, with the two teams among the challengers for European spots this season, but supporters will have to wait for their latest clash due to the poor conditions in Genoa.
After hours of pouring rain, the sodden conditions at the two sides' Stadio Luigi Ferrarris prompted authorities to delay kick-off by 15 minutes.
But, following much waiting the match was eventually called off 20 minutes after the initial kick-off time, with the officials' minds seemingly made up when attempting to roll the ball over the saturated turf.
Genoa, who were the designated away side, re-emerged after the officials' decision and applauded their drenched supporters, while Sampdoria goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was not convinced that such a situation was unavoidable.
He is quoted as saying by Sky Italia: "Perhaps this could've been prevented. In these circumstances, though, it was impossible to play football."
Serie A outlines procedure should Parma go bankrupt
21 February 2015
All Parma's remaining Serie A matches would result in a 3-0 walkover, should the club go out of business this season.
Serie A authorities have confirmed that should Parma be declared bankrupt before the end of the season, their remaining matches would be forfeited 3-0.
The rock-bottom club are facing a dire financial situation, with a lack of funds forcing the cancellation of Sunday's home clash with Udinese due to an inability to pay stewards and security staff.
Youth coach Hernan Crespo also shed light on their plight with revelatory comments on Friday, claiming they cannot even afford the electricity to allow for the use of showers at the training ground.
Some reports on Saturday suggested that the club's fate had already been sealed and that they had been officially dissolved, but those claims proved to be premature.
They do, though, remain in a precarious position, and the end could still be imminent after Serie A took the step of confirming the process should they go out of business.
In a statement, it was revealed that because Parma's issues did not come to a head in the first half of the season, the results they have so far recorded – such as a 0-0 draw with Roma – will remain valid.
However, any Parma match that fails to go ahead before the end of the season will be forfeited 3-0.
They are due to face Genoa on March 1 and Atalanta on March 8, before their bankruptcy hearing on March 19.
The Genovese derby will now take place on Tuesday after the original fixture was postponed on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch.
Sampdoria's derby clash against Genoa has been rescheduled to Tuesday after rain led to the encounter being postponed on Saturday.
Kick-off at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris was delayed by 15 minutes before match officials deemed the pitch unplayable.
However, authorities have moved quickly to confirm a new date for the Serie A clash, with the derby now taking place at Sampdoria's home ground on Tuesday with kick-off at 18:30 local time.
The Genovese rivals are level on points in the top flight with Sampdoria winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in September.
Broken promises are crippling Parma, says Lucarelli
22 February 2015
A run of broken promises from Parma owners are behind the Serie A club's demise, according to captain Alessandro Lucarelli.
Alessandro Lucarelli has hit out at Parma's last three owners for mis-managing the club and leaving them on the brink of bankruptcy.
The Serie A outfit have struggled with funds throughout the current campaign with players going unpaid for months at a time, earning Parma a one-point deduction earlier this season.
Further sanctions are likely after Sunday's clash with Udinese was postponed due to financial issues, with Lucarelli – the Parma captain – criticising former owners Tommaso Ghirardi and Rezart Taci, plus current incumbent Giampietro Manenti for failing to deliver on promises.
"Things have been strange for two years. The club always tended to pay our wages on the deadline day. That made us suspicious," Lucarelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"In November the now ex-president Tommaso Ghirardi came to the locker room and told us our wages hadn't been paid because he was in negotiations with Rezart Taci to sell the club, but negotiations did not go well.
"He said that he wouldn't put one more Euro into Parma. We felt betrayed and taken for a ride by Ghirardi.
"I never even saw Taci.
"Manenti immediately put big promises on the table. He showed us a bank statement 'proving' that he had €100m available to invest in Parma. That was a really big sum, so we were slightly dubious.
"Then, every day, it was the same thing: there are red tape problems, we have to wait another day or two. So far, we haven't seen a single Euro."
Despite the problems Parma's players continue to remain loyal to the club, with Lucarelli saying they will not go on strike and plunge the club into administration.
"Making the club fail means sending home at least 200 families who work for Parma," he added.
"I am not thinking of the players, but of those who are supposed to get wages of €1,000 per month. We feel this responsibility on our shoulders."
Filippo Inzaghi is keen for Milan to build momentum with more consistent results following their 2-0 win over Cesena.
Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi has called for his side to display consistency after returning to winning ways with a 2-0 Serie A victory over Cesena on Sunday.
Inzaghi's men claimed just their second win in nine league games thanks to Giacomo Bonaventura's 22nd-minute goal and a late penalty from Giampaolo Pazzini.
The triumph kept Milan within five points of the UEFA Europa League places and Inzaghi, who has come under much pressure following Milan's recent results, is eager for them to build on the success.
"We played well, but we know there is still a long way to go," Inzaghi said.
"We have to continue on this path. A positive result gives us more self-confidence, but we must improve and we know that.
"We have to be consistent now in our results. We're Milan and with this attitude and confidence we can get back on track."
Midfielder Andrea Poli echoed his coach's sentiments and was keen to stress the importance of every game as they seek to seal a European place.
"We did very well in the first half, we're satisfied. I want to win with Milan and with commitment we can do well," Poli said.
"When the results don’t arrive we are the first to be responsible. We all have to give more, me first of all. We want to fight for the European places. We're Milan and we have 14 matches available. Every match will be like a final."
Milan eased some of the pressure on boss Filippo Inzaghi with a 2-0 Serie A win over lowly Cesena on Sunday.
A 2-0 victory over struggling Cesena at San Siro was enough to lift Milan into the top half of Serie A.
Giacomo Bonaventura's strike midway through the first half, along with Giampaolo Pazzini's late penalty, gave under-fire Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi just his second win in their last nine league fixtures on Sunday.
Bonaventura's low drive after 22 minutes capped a positive start to the game from the hosts, although a sparse crowd inside San Siro were not given much else to excite them before the break.
But Milan finally made sure of all three points in the 90th minute when Luca Antonelli was felled in the penalty area and substitute Pazzini stepped up to fire past Nicola Leali from 12 yards.
The win lifts Inzaghi's men above rivals Inter and into eighth position, while 19th-placed Cesena remain firmly in a relegation scrap.
After missing the last three games through injury, Riccardo Montolivo was restored to Milan’s midfield - and he went close to opening the scoring in the second minute.
The 30-year-old's low shot was parried by Leali, and the loose ball fell to Andrea Poli who headed home, but the assistant referee’s flag denied Inzaghi an early goal.
Having survived that scare, Cesena had a promising spell of possession, with Gregoire Defrel and Milan Djuric both testing Christian Abbiati - in for the suspended Diego Lopez - with long-range efforts.
Their dominance did not last, though, as the hosts broke the deadlock midway through the half, Bonaventura finding the bottom corner with a low strike across Leali from 20 yards.
Milan's opener took the sting out of any momentum Cesena had built up, and Inzaghi's team could have been further ahead as the pace and guile of Jeremy Menez created two openings that they were unable to convert.
But with half-time looming, the hosts had Abbiati to thank for preserving their lead in stoppage time, the veteran reacting well to deny Giuseppe De Feudis' volley.
A crucial clearance from Antonelli maintained Milan's advantage early in the second half, before Bonaventura was denied a second by the post.
Menez was again Cesena's tormentor with a mazy run down the left, but Bonaventura's fine effort from the penalty spot thudded against the woodwork.
The introduction of Pazzini for the ineffective Mattia Destro just after the hour gave the hosts a burst of energy in attack.
And the Italy international was on hand to calm any frayed nerves on the Milan bench when he shot low beyond Leali from the spot after Antonelli had been brought down by Carlos Carbonero.
Javier Zanetti wants Inter to play as though they have nothing to lose as they seek to mount a challenge for a top-three place in Serie A.
Javier Zanetti is urging Inter to play without fear as they attempt to launch an unlikely assault on third place in Serie A and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
Roberto Mancini's side have experienced a revival in recent weeks and can record a third straight league win for the first time since November 2012 with victory at struggling Cagliari on Monday.
The former Manchester City manager returned to the club in November, following the departure of Walter Mazzarri, and has overseen a climb to 10th position.
Back-to-back wins against Palermo and Atalanta halted a run of three straight defeats, before Inter squandered a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Celtic in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Despite sitting 10 points behind third-placed Napoli in Serie A, club legend and vice-president Zanetti has been encouraged by Mancini's impact, and feels the club should set their sights on the top three.
"Obviously, there are still areas where we can improve, but I think our two Serie A wins in a row and good result in Glasgow will give the team confidence," Zanetti told the Deejay Football Club radio show.
"It wasn't easy to strike the right balance, but Mancini is working hard to get us playing a certain way. He loves the club, and results are starting to come now."
He added: "It's going to be very tough to get third place because there are a lot of teams ahead of us. We have to give it a go though – we've got nothing to lose."
Cagliari, on the other hand, have developed a losing habit this season and are without a win in their last three, leaving them 18th in the table, three points from safety.
But Gianfranco Zola's side will take confidence from their previous meeting with Inter, in September last year, when Albin Ekdal's hat-trick fired them to a shock 4-1 success at San Siro.
Mancini's men are a different proposition now, however, having scored seven times in their past two league games with Fredy Guarin and Mauro Icardi in particular beginning to show what they are capable of.
Rodrigo Palacio has been in fine form, too, scoring twice against Celtic, but doubts remain over his ankle problem, while Jonathan and Yuto Nagatomo are still sidelined long-term.
Reports also suggest that Nemanja Vidic could be on his out of the club following disagreements with Mancini, and he could miss out along with Lukas Podolski.
Antonio Balzano is unavailable for the hosts due to injury as Cagliari bid for a first clean sheet under Zola.
Serie A Review: Roma stumble again as Lazio, Milan win
22 February 2015
Another draw hindered Roma's dwindling Serie A title challenge, while Lazio stole a march on Fiorentina in the battle for a top three spot.
Roma once again faltered in their pursuit of Serie A leaders Juventus as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Verona.
Rudi Garcia's men are unbeaten in the league since the mid-season break but have now drawn five of those seven matches and are nine points off the pace in second.
Verona headed into the fixture having lost six of their past seven games and they were behind once more when Fernando Totti's drive from distance evaded goalkeeper Francesco Benussi.
But Roma would not return the three points they craved as Bosko Jankovic's header from Emil Hallfredsson's corner deflected off both Davide Astori and Seydou Keita before finding the net in the 38th minute.
City rivals Lazio bolstered their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes with a 2-1 comeback win over Palermo.
Having upset third-placed Napoli last time out, Palermo took a 26th-minute lead when Paulo Dybala capitalised on an error from Mauricio.
Stefano Mauri levelled matters by volleying home from close range and a wonderful solo goal from Antonio Candreva 12 minutes from time secured victory in style.
Lazio replace Fiorentina in fourth after a frantic finish to their game with Torino at the Stadio Artemio Franchi resulted in a 1-1 scoreline.
Khouma Babacar missed a 10th-minute penalty for the hosts but, when January recruit Mohamed Salah combined with Alberto Gilardino to fire a low finish five minutes from time, it looked like his miss would not be costly.
But Torino hauled themselves level two minutes later, with Giuseppe Vives netting after Maxi Lopez's shot was saved.
Milan eased the pressure on under-fire boss Filippo Inzaghi courtesy of a 2-0 win over lowly Cesena - Jack Bonaventura opening the scoring and Giampaolo Pazzini sealing the points with a last-minute spot-kick.
Elsewhere Empoli claimed an important 3-0 win over Chievo, while the scheduled game between Parma and Udinese was postponed on Friday amid dire financial straits for Serie A's bottom club.
Napoli 2 Sassuolo 0: Ten-man hosts close gap on Roma
23 February 2015
Duvan Zapata and Marek Hamsik found the net as 10-man Napoli picked up a 2-0 Serie A win over Sassuolo on Monday.
Napoli closed the gap on second-placed Roma to three points with a 2-0 Serie A victory over Sassuolo on Monday, despite having Dries Mertens sent off in the second half.
Duvan Zapata opened the scoring for the home side shortly before the hour mark, and Marek Hamsik made it 2-0 nine minutes later.
Mertens saw red for a poorly timed challenge almost immediately after Napoli's second, but Rafael Benitez's men held on to close in on faltering Roma, who have one win from their last seven league matches.
The match did not get off to the best of starts for Sassuolo, who saw defenders Luca Antei and Paolo Cannavaro - back at the club he represented for eight years until 2014 - forced off through injury in the opening 23 minutes.
The visitors could have been forgiven for taking a while to adjust at the back, but their defence saw out the first half without conceding.
Having dominated possession and chances in the first half, Napoli finally took the lead in the 61st minute, when Zapata stumbled his way through some questionable Sassuolo defending to convert a low effort.
Hamsik doubled the advantage soon after with a curling strike after being teed up by Zapata, but the home side saw Mertens sent off soon after.
The Belgian attacker had only been on the pitch five minutes when he was dismissed for a clumsy tackle from behind on Simone Missiroli.
Francesco Magnanelli saw a superb strike from outside the penalty area tipped wide by goalkeeper Mariano Andujar as Sassuolo looked to make their numerical advantage count, but Napoli held on for a comfortable win - Jose Callejon skewing wide a glorious opportunity to make it 3-0 late on.
Cagliari 1 Inter 2: Mancini´s men continue Serie A surge
23 February 2015
Roberto Mancini's hopes of salvaging Inter's season were boosted further with a 2-1 Serie A win at Cagliari on Monday.
Inter's surge towards the European places continued on Monday as they moved into sixth in Serie A with a 2-1 win at struggling Cagliari.
After a largely frustrating season, Roberto Mancini's men have hit their stride in recent weeks and secured a third straight win with a disciplined performance in Sardinia.
Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring in the 47th minute with a composed strike from just inside the area.
Cagliari spurned a number of clear-cut opportunities to equalise and were made to pay as Mauro Icardi made it 2-0 with his 19th goal of the season in the 68th minute.
Icardi has been one of Inter's brightest sparks this season and he again lit up this contest, cutting in from the right and curling a fierce shot beyond Zeljko Brkic in the Cagliari goal.
On-loan Inter forward Samuele Longo pulled one back for Cagliari from long range six minutes later but, despite coming under significant pressure in the closing stages, the visitors hung on to maintain their recent momentum.
Despite the win, Mancini may be concerned over the form of January signing Lukas Podolski, who remains without his first Inter goal after spurning a string of first-half chances.
Podolski broke free on the counter 20 minutes in and cleverly wrong-footed two defenders in the box but dawdled on the ball when one-on-one with the goalkeeper and his eventual cross was turned off target by Marcelo Brozovic.
The German then headed wide at the near post before Brozovic's low shot was well saved by Brkic, with Icardi's close-range follow-up blocked.
For all Inter's possession and relative control of the game, they would have fallen behind in the 36th minute if not for a strong piece of defending from Davide Santon.
The on-loan Newcastle United defender cleared off the line after goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo could only deflect Duje Cop's point-blank effort into his path.
Inter continued to dictate matters, but their frustration was encapsulated when Podolski nodded a Fredy Guarin delivery over the crossbar.
But the visitors' persistence paid off shortly after the restart as Kovacic slotted home with a cool side-foot finish after Cagliari had failed to deal with a long ball into the box.
Cagliari responded well, however they could not take advantage of some extremely haphazard Inter defending, Andrea Cossu unable to capitalise on Nemanja Vidic's error before Carrizo denied Paul-Jose M'Poku and substitute Longo.
And Cagliari's profligacy was punished by Icardi, who looked to have made the game safe by finding the top-left corner in wonderful fashion.
Longo frayed the nerves of his parent club as his low effort was allowed to sneak into the bottom corner by Carrizo.
But Inter were rarely troubled, Hernanes even rattling the crossbar with the last kick of the game, and move within four points of their next league opponents, fifth-place Fiorentina.
Rudi Garcia claimed it was "normal" for Roma to show fatigue against Verona but blamed a lack of patience for Sunday's 1-1 draw.
Roma coach Rudi Garcia claimed a lack of patience and composure in the final third cost his side victory against Verona, rather than any fatigue from their UEFA Europa League commitments.
Verona held Roma to a 1-1 draw on Sunday with both goals coming in the first half, as Garcia's side endured a third straight stalemate in all competitions.
After captain Francesco Totti gave Roma the lead in the 26th minute with a 25-yard strike, an own goal from Seydou Keita 12 minutes later saw Verona draw level in front of their home fans.
The visitors were unable to find a way through Verona's defence in the second half and, while Garcia conceded Roma were tired following their Europa League tie versus Feyenoord on Thursday, the French coach insisted his team could have won but for their build-up play after the break.
"Verona weren't in the contest in the first half and the guys showed that if we move the ball about quickly, we can hurt any team," Garcia told Roma's website.
"In the second half, however, we weren't patient enough and the errors we made allowed our opponents back in the game. In the last 15 minutes, we were missing that bit of sharpness to find the final ball."
Garcia added that Roma should have scored more goals in the first half when they were on top: "We should have taken some of the chances we had. Aside from [Adam] Ljajic hitting the bar, there was also that great shot from [Radja] Nainggolan."
The result means Roma have drawn six of their past seven Serie A matches - the other ended in a 2-1 win at Cagliari - which has left the capital club nine points behind leaders and defending champions Juventus.
When his players' fitness was challenged, Garcia conceded the point, although he insisted that their fatigue was "normal".
"Is it a fitness issue? As I've said already, it's normal that we should drop off at the end just three days after the match against Feyenoord," he said.
Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has called on Serie A's clubs to help out financially-troubled Parma.
Massimo Ferrero, president of Sampdoria, has called on his Serie A counterparts to work together and help Parma out of their current financial difficulties.
The league's bottom club saw Sunday's game with Udinese postponed as they were unable to pay stewards and security staff.
Parma have already been hit with a points sanction this season after failing to pay players' wages on time.
President Ferrero called on clubs in the top flight to pool their resources and help Parma, who face a bankruptcy hearing next month.
"I entered the world of football a few months ago but I believe that FIGC [the Italian Football Federation], the Lega Calcio, the COVISOC, the referees and footballers associations are serious institutions that deserve all our respect," he wrote in an open letter on Sampdoria's website.
"We shouldn't look desperately for a scapegoat, our objective must be different: Italian football cannot remain indifferent to the professionalism and the maturity shown by Parma players in such a difficult situation.
"The words of Parma captain [Alessandro] Lucarelli stuck with me, especially when he explained that the choices made by players in the last few months were guided by the maximum respect towards the fans and the Parma employees.
"That’s why I think we shouldn't talk about bankruptcy but reconstruction. The world is looking at us; we must act decisively for the sake of Lucarelli, his team-mates, the young players of the academy and the Parma fans.
"We must allow them to play, to continue to honour the colours of their club. I'm not an expert on these matters but I believe that Serie A presidents must get together as soon as possible to see if a sort of temporary receivership is somehow possible, so that the squad can end the 2014/2015 season on the pitch.
"The Lega Serie A has got the quality and the experience to intervene in this matter independently, without the intervention of external institutions that have other priorities.
"I thank all the players and everyone that works at Parma, I consider them heroes. Now it's time to act. Sampdoria is ready to find a solution. I’m sure that all the other presidents of Serie A are willing to do the same."
Serie A strugglers Parma are in a state of disarray, but their president insists he will not leave the club in the lurch.
Parma president Giampietro Manenti is adamant he will not leave the beleaguered Serie A club despite their increasing financial problems.
The Italian top flight's bottom club saw Sunday's home game with Udinese postponed due to a failure to pay stewards and security staff.
Financial problems have been a problem for Parma - who have already been docked a point for not paying players' wages on time - throughout the campaign and they are set for a bankruptcy hearing next month.
However, Manenti is determined to save the club from bankruptcy.
"I can confirm that I'll be meeting the mayor [Federico Pizzarotti] tomorrow," he told Radio Parma "But I'm not letting go of the club. On the contrary, I'm working for the club even as we speak.
"I won't bring my accounts in for revision [effectively declaring bankruptcy]. We're working to the opposite end. "Nor did I ever meet the banks. We're preparing a plan to be presented to the district attorney.
Maneti also criticised the decision to postpone the meeting with Udinese at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, revealing that Parma had presented a contingency plan to the Italian Football Federation days beforehand.
"We wrote to the authorities on Friday afternoon, saying at 5:30 the game could be played in an open stadium," he added.
"We'd been saying that since Wednesday, but I don't think there are any clairvoyants here."
Mancini: 'Unlucky' Podolski will end goal drought soon
By Mark Doyle
Feb 23, 2015 23:01:51
The on-loan Arsenal attacker has now gone seven Serie A games without netting after squandering three great chances in Monday's 2-1 win at Cagliari
Roberto Mancini is adamant that the "unlucky" Lukas Podolski will soon start scoring goals for Inter.
Podolski joined the Nerazzurri on loan from Arsenal during the winter transfer window but has yet to find the back of the net in seven Serie A appearances so far.
The attacker missed three fine chances during the first half of Inter's 2-1 at Cagliari on Monday but Mancini is refusing to give up on the Germany international.
"I believe the time will come when Podolski will score an important goal," the Inter boss told Sky Sport Italia.
"Of the three in the first half, he usually gets at least one in. He’s unlucky at the moment, but it will pass."
Mauro Icardi has had no such problems in front of goal this term, with the Argentine netting the crucial second goal at the Sant'Elia.
Mancini, though, was more pleased with the 21-year-old's overall performance, having previously questioned the striker's work-rate.
"Icardi played very well and his goal was wonderful," the former Manchester City boss added. "He kept the ball well, he linked with the others. He must continue like this."
Mancini was also enthused by the performance of Mateo Kovacic, who bagged the opener in his first start in four games in all competitions.
"I'm happy for him," he said. "He had a good game and scored an important goal.
"At any great club, sometimes you play, sometimes not. But he remains a player on whom we rely."
Overall, Mancini was pleased with his side's third successive Serie A win, and was even philosophical about the fact that they were left hanging on at the death following Samuele Longo's deflected strike with 15 minutes to go.
"If we didn't complicate life, we wouldn't be Inter," he joked. "The first half was perfect. Then we suffered a bit after Longo's goal.
"After the way the opening 70 minutes had gone, the final part of the game should have been a little easier for us.
"But there was also a little tiredness. We had nine players who played in Glasgow [against Celtic on Thursday].
"Then, we also played an extraordinary first half, during which we missed four or five great chances."
The striker still has three years left on his current contract with the Nerazzurri but the Serie A side are keen on getting him to commit to a new deal
Mauro Icardi is still refusing to be drawn on his contractual situation at Inter but the in-form striker says he is enjoying life at San Siro under Roberto Mancini, revealing that he and his team-mates have finally got used to the coach's footballing philosophy.
Mancini rejoined the Nerazzurri last November, succeeding Walter Mazzarri at the helm, but endured a difficult start to his second stint at the helm of the San Siro side.
However, Inter made it three wins on the bounce in Serie A by defeating Cagliari 2-1 on Monday night, with Icardi netting the crucial second goal at the Sant'Elia.
Consequently, while the 21-year-old attacker remains reluctant to be drawn on constant speculation surrounding his future, and the possibility of extending his contract beyond 2018, Icardi insists that he is happy at the Giuseppe Meazza.
"We're playing well," the Argentine told Sky Sport Italia. "In these past few months, we have started to adjust to the coach's ideas.
"It was not easy at the start but we're used to them now. Now, we're thinking about Celtic and getting through to the next round of the Europa League.
"As for my renewal, I don't know. [Inter sporting director Piero] Ausilio and my agent think about these things."
Meanwhile, Icardi admitted that he was delighted to see Mateo Kovacic mark his recall to Mancini's first 11 by netting the opening goal at Cagliari.
"We're all happy for Mateo," he added. "Nobody likes to be on the bench so much."
Inter's victory in Sardinia sees them climb to sixth in the Serie A standings ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-32 second-leg clash with Celtic at San Siro.
The two sides played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in last weekend's meeting in Glasgow.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini was not surprised to see his team make hard work of things during their 2-1 win at Cagliari on Monday.
Roberto Mancini was philosophical over Inter's late scare at Cagliari, claiming their lapses in concentration in Monday's 2-1 Serie A win are typical of the team.
Inter looked to be in command after goals from Mateo Kovacic and Mauro Icardi gave them a 2-0 lead in Sardinia, only for Cagliari loanee Samuele Longo to pull one back in the 74th minute against his parent club to set up a tense finish.
But Mancini's men held on to claim a third straight win and move up to sixth in Serie A, four points adrift of fifth-placed Fiorentina, who they play on Sunday.
And the former Manchester City boss believes thoughts about that clash and the UEFA Europa League last-32 second leg with Celtic on Thursday may have caused his players to lose focus.
"If we don't make things difficult for ourselves, then we wouldn't be Inter," Mancini told Sky Sport Italia.
"We had the chance to score twice in the first half and failed. We went in front, then Longo came on and did very well. He used Juan Jesus' body to turn and deserves applause for a great goal.
"In the 10 minutes after that goal, anything could've happened. It was wide open and after 65 minutes we should've been well in control.
"When 2-0 up it's possible the team relaxed a little, especially with three intense games this week and not much squad rotation."
On-loan Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski missed a host of first-half opportunities for Inter, however, Mancini feels the Germany forward will make a key impact at some point this season, despite failing to find the net thus far.
"I believe the time will come when Podolski will score an important goal," he added. "Of the three in the first half, he usually gets at least one in. He's unlucky at the moment, but it will pass."
Inter forward Lukas Podolski believes the goals will eventually come for him at the club.
On-loan Inter forward Lukas Podolski insists he is unfazed by criticism after his goalless run at the Serie A club extended on Monday.
The Germany international is without a goal in seven league games and is yet to score for Inter, who claimed a 2-1 win at Cagliari.
But Podolski, on loan from Arsenal, said media criticism meant nothing and he plans to continue working hard to kick-start his season.
"I'm a striker so obviously I want to score, but I also want to get three points from every game," he said.
"I just wanted to win tonight and we showed what we can do as a team. The goals will come for me.
"I'll continue working hard – I only care about what the boss [Roberto Mancini] says. I'm not bothered about the press. I'll keep my head down and try to show what I can do."
Inter's third straight league win lifted them into seventh, but they are still 10 points behind third-placed Napoli.
Podolski admits a top-three finish and UEFA Champions League place is a huge ask for Inter.
"Third place? It's not easy and there are a lot of teams that want to get it," he said.
"We need to win our matches, starting with Sunday's clash against Fiorentina. After that, we'll see what happens."
As for his future, Podolski said it was far too early to discuss it.
"My future? It's too early to start speaking about that. Everyone knows my situation – my agent and I will talk with the club in a few months' time," he said.
Milan's recovery in Serie A has begun after victory over Cesena on Sunday, says chief executive Adriano Galliani.
Adriano Galliani believes Milan are beginning to turn the corner under Filippo Inzaghi and the future looks bright for the 18-time Serie A champions.
A meagre return of one point from the first four matches after the mid-season break left Milan in the bottom half, but seven from the last quartet of games - including Sunday's 2-0 win over Cesena - has lifted spirits.
It has also helped to ease the pressure on Inzaghi's shoulders, with chief executive Galliani looking upwards after Milan moved to within six points of the top five and European qualification.
"The victory over Cesena gives us confidence," Galliani told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
"We have to get some consistency, if we win two or three games in a row the table will change. We’re thinking of the upcoming matches, starting with Chievo, and then Verona.
"Injuries have been the determining factor, we’ve been afflicted by a lot of physical problems, both impact injuries and muscular.
"We hope that these injuries will end soon. I think we need to have a good end to the season, and I hope that we'll be able to shift up a gear next season."
