Mourinho ‘ruined’ Champions party: Inter president

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has accused outgoing coach Jose Mourinho of ruining the club’s Champions League victory celebrations by announcing his intention to leave for Real Madrid.

Inter Milan have just ended the most successful season in the club’s history by landing the treble — a first for Itaian football — of league, Cup and Champions Leage.

Speaking to Friday’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Moratti admitted he was grateful to Mourinho for helping the club achieve such success.

But he expressed his bitterness at the Portuguese’s departure, which has yet to be finalised due to a 16 million-euro buy out clause in his contract.

“There is a clause, and the party, if someone has ruined it, it’s Mourinho by leaving,” he said.

“But just so it’s clear, I will be eternally grateful for everything he’s done, for the joy he brought to this club.

“I hope we’ll come to an agreement in the following hours or at least in the next few days.

“And it’s a matter for both clubs, not just Inter.”

Mourinho’s Inter contract runs until June 2012, and the buy-out clause has been set at 16 million euros.

While Real have reached agreement with Mourinho, the Spanish club’s president Florentino Perez has publicly stated it is up to the Portuguese to sort out the severance fee with Inter.

But according to the Italian press Mourinho believed Moratti had given his word that the clause would be waved if he won the Champions League, something the president denies.

“I never said that,” added Moratti.

Clearly Real are reluctant to pay the fee while Inter are unwilling to lose Mourinho without compensation so a middle ground is likely to be found, particularly as Perez is due in Milan on Friday.