´Total faith´ in Benitez, say Inter

Media reports this week suggested Benitez?was on the verge of losing his job after his side were outplayed by 10-man AC Milan 1-0 in Sunday’s Milan derby and slipped to fifth on the table.

The loss leaves last year’s Serie A and European Champions six points behind their city rivals at the top of the league.

But Moratti said on Wednesday that reports Benitez?was about to be sacked were the ‘invention’ of the media, after Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello Sport’s headline on the same day read ‘Hanging By A Thread’.

“I believe that is an invention of you journalists,” Moratti told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

“I read it on the papers. There is no kind of traumatising decision, in any way whatsoever.”

“The project we chose goes on, and there is total faith in Benitez, as I already said the other day. This doesn’t deny the fact that I am annoyed after a game like the one on Sunday, but it doesn’t change the club plans in any way whatsoever.”

Former AC Milan boss Leonardo and current Zenit St Petersburg manager Luciano Spalletti are said to be targets of the club, according to the Italian press.

But Moratti denied meeting with Leonardo, while Spalletti believes the president would not turn on a manager so quickly.

“Moratti showed he is a serious person (by sticking with Benitez),” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.

“I have never been contacted by any club. I continue to be Zenit coach. I have a contract here and will continue coaching Zenit unless they sack me or something else happens,” he said.

Former Liverpool boss Benitez will have a chance to redeem himself with the Inter faithful when they travel to mid-table Chievo on Saturday.