Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Filippo Inzaghi set to keep AC Milan job despite Coppa Italia exit

Filippo Inzaghi is set to keep his job as AC Milan coach in spite of a 1-0 defeat at home to Lazio on Tuesday night which sent the Rossoneri out of the Coppa Italia.

Down in 11th in Serie A, five points behind the top six, Tuesday night's game was viewed by the Italian media as Inzaghi's last chance. Having failed to take it, the pressure has only grown on the 41-year-old, but it appears he is to be given another opportunity.

Milan host bottom-placed Parma at the weekend and failure to win that game would test the patience of club president Silvio Berlusconi, who is reported to have told Inzaghi his job is safe.

"If I'm afforded the time, I can get Milan back to what they were," said Inzaghi at Tuesday night's news conference. "A friend of mine wrote to remind me that it took [Sir Alex] Ferguson seven years to win something at Manchester United. It's hard for any coach to begin with, but I truly believe we will succeed in getting through this moment."

Playing with an extra man for the second half following Lorik Cana's dismissal, Milan were still unable to find an equaliser, although they had two goals rightly ruled out for infringements.

"At least we did score -- and we scored twice," Inzaghi said, looking on the bright side. "I'm very pleased with my side tonight, whereas I wasn't on Saturday. The result tells a lie. We gave it all Milan could, but the incidents did not go our way and this is upsetting.

"I was disappointed on Saturday, but tonight I'm only disappointed by the result. We've got to roll up our sleeves and start over. We accept this defeat, even though I feel it was undeserved. Once we get all of our players back, I'm sure we will be able to make up lost ground."

After hosting Parma, who have won just three games all season, losing 16, Milan head to league leaders Juventus, whose coach Massimiliano Allegri was sacked by the Rossoneri a year ago when he was in a situation similar to the one Inzaghi finds himself in now.

The difference between then and now is the support Inzaghi continues to enjoy from the fans, who had grown tired of Allegri 12 months ago.

"The fans are getting behind us and they can see that we're giving it all we've got, only this is not enough and we need to work hard on resolving it," Inzaghi added. "I hope we get back soon to being the Milan the fans are used to."

AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani gave his full support to Inzaghi, saying he hopes the situation will improve under him, and adding: "If no biblical catastrophe should occur, we will go to the end of the season with him."

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