Inter coach Simone Inzaghi could be thinking about finishing his second season at the club in a parallel manner to Jose Mourinho’s time in charge, in more ways than one.
This according to today’s print edition of today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, who suggest that the 47-year-old could dream of signing off by winning the Champions League and then vacating his post as the Portuguese coach did in 2010.
As Tuttosport notes, the relationship between Inzaghi and Inter’s board has become increasingly fractious, suffering from the mounting stress of the team’s bad form in Serie A.
Accordingly, it can hardly be excluded that the former Lazio boss would be sacked at the end of the season, particularly in the event that the team miss out on qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Alternatively, though, Inzaghi could decide to leave, as the tension in the atmosphere over the past few weeks has started to take its toll and he seeks a new challenge elsewhere or a break from coaching.
If the 47-year-old does decide to call it a day at Inter, he will still certainly want to end his adventure in the best way possible.
There are still eight matches left in the league, but Inzaghi’s eyes might be more focused on the cup competitions, Tuttosport suggests.
There is the Coppa Italia, which the coach may already be viewing slightly different from the Nerazzurri’s directors.
From the perspective of the club, the cup competition could well be regarded as a bit of a distraction from the more vital objective of finishing top four in the league.
However, and particularly if he is thinking about leaving, Inzaghi might be less concerned with ending the season in a way that secures the club’s financial future and more focused on another piece of silverware to add to his collection.
Then, there is the Champions League.
There is little doubt that absolutely everyone at Inter would dream of winning the Champions League, but for the coach it perhaps represents something a bit different.
If Inzaghi is mentally already halfway out the door, the coach would still like to end the season covered in glory, something that Mourinho certainly did when he beat Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final.
Unlike Mourinho, who was courted by Real Madrid, Inzaghi would leave Inter in more uncertain terms and with doubts about what his next step would be.
However, the 47-year-old will be aware of the reputation that Mourinho left by going out on such a high note, and accordingly, will be dreaming of emulating the end of the current Roma boss’s final season at the helm.
