Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has refused to commit himself to staying with the club beyond the end of the season.
Inter are in pole position to claim a Serie A and Champions League double, and indeed a treble is on the cards with the Nerazzurri facing title rivals Roma in Wednesday’s final of the Coppa Italia.
However, the always-in-the-headlines Mourinho has now said at a press conference ahead of that Cup final that nothing is secure beyond the end of the current campaign.
The colourful former Chelsea boss has been heavily linked with Real Madrid, even more so since his Inter side knocked Real’s fierce rivals Barcelona out of the Champions League semi-finals last week.
"I cannot say it is one hundred percent that I will stay at Inter next season," Mourinho said on Tuesday. "In football you can never say this sort of thing."
Mourinho also responded to claims from Roma president, Rosella Sensi that his side should be 'embarrassed' over the nature of their 2-0 win over Lazio at the weekend, with most observers of the opinion that Roma’s bitter Rome rivals had rolled over to allow Inter to win and damage Roma’s title hopes.
"Only those who steal need to be embarrassed," Mourinho said. "If we have reached this point we don't just deserve respect, we demand respect. Signora (Sensi) may be a president, a doctor, she may have been born in a golden cradle, but she has to give us respect.”
And the Portuguese was quick to hit out at the advantage Roma have of playing Wednesday’s final in the Stadio Olympico, saying: "Now Roma have the fortune to play the final of the Coppa Italia at home, something which is unique in the world, because I don't know any other national cups which are decided at the home of one of the finalists.
“If this match were played in Naples, Florence or Bologna it would be different.
"The only thing that will be a change for them is that they will use a different bench, but otherwise they are playing at home. This doesn't seem correct to me."