Managerial Merry-Go-Round in Milan

By: Martha | December 11th, 2007

Aw. La Gazzetta reported this morning that Inter kingpin Massimo Moratti spent some time in London last month and, while there, found time for a private meeting with one Jose Mourinho. (And this is where I sternly tell myself not to get excited.) Though the paper bends over backward to come up with reasons for the meeting that have nothing to do with a desire to hire him (my personal favorite is “the natural predisposition of the largest shareholder nerazzurro to interweave human cordial relations with the people who count in football”), that possibility is obviously a whole lot more likely than going all that way for a speed date.

Inter, needless to say, have leapt to deny the story, going so far as to issue a statement on their official website, saying “The news is false and is considered a serious disturbance to the club.” Wow, “serious disturbance?” Talk about protesting too much. If Inter weren’t in first (for the moment), the tone of that statement might make me way more suspicious than the article did, but I suppose even Moratti would have a hard time dumping Roberto Mancini if his team keeps winning. We’ll see how the second half goes, though — maybe the next denial won’t be quite so vociferous.

On the other side of town, meanwhile, Mourinho’s (latest) removal of himself from consideration for the England job has only ramped up the rumors that he’s set to replace Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season. Some reports even say that the Special One has already signed a “pre-contract” (Is there even such a thing? I mean, in legal terms?), and is now just waiting for summer before donning the red and black.

I wonder how Ancelotti feels about this. The press are very sure that he’s going to either replace Roberto Donadoni if the Azzurri crumble at the Euros or, if they don’t, head to Barcelona to replace Frank Rijkaard, but I can’t imagine things are quite that clear in reality. I mean, is it possible Ancelotti wants to stay? (Or if he does, that Galliani and Co. would let him?) Or that Rijkaard does? Or that Ancelotti has no interest in going to Spain? Or, for that matter, that Mourinho hates Milan and would much rather go to Spain?