Mourinho refuses to panic after defeat

Monday 27 April 2009 06:25 EDT
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Jose Mourinho accepted his side deserved to lose to Napoli on Sunday, but has rejected suggestions that Internazionale are in danger of throwing away the Scudetto.

Inter saw their lead at the top of the Serie A table reduced to seven points over city rivals AC Milan following the 1-0 defeat in Naples, but a calm Mourinho is refusing to press the panic button.

"If there was one team that deserved the result to go their way, it was Napoli," said the Portuguese coach.

"There is no need to be worried about the reduction of our lead. I do not need to know how many points Milan or Juventus are behind us.

"All we need to worry about is that we require nine points to win the championship.

"We have five matches to play, including three at the San Siro. We are in an ideal situation."

Meanwhile, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti still believes the Serie A title is Internazionale's to lose despite his side's 3-0 victory over Palermo on Sunday.

"We are not thinking about Inter," he said.

"We are just trying to keep the fourth-placed side, which is Fiorentina at the moment, as far away as possible.

"We are nine points clear now and this means we have done a good job over the past few weeks. This is our only thought."

Elsewhere, Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino has pledged his long-term future to the club despite reports of a summer move away from the Artemio Franchi.

The Italy striker took his tally to 23 goals in his first season with La Viola after scoring twice in the 4-1 weekend victory over AS Roma.

Fiorentina currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place and the striker, who swapped AC Milan for Florence last summer, is delighted with how his first season has progressed.

Gilardino joined Fiorentina in a 15million euro deal after struggling to hold down a starting place with the Rossoneri.

"It would be important to become a leader of this team, remaining for many years with this shirt, something which I really want to do," he said.

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