Mauro Icardi has called on Inter Milan coach Stefano Pioli to keep his job, even if the club don't qualify for European football next season.
Pioli led Inter on a long unbeaten run through December and January sparking hope of a challenge for Champions League football, but their form has tailed off in recent weeks, culminating in a 5-4 defeat against Fiorentina on Saturday, and the Nerazzurri now sit seventh following three defeats and no wins in the last five games.
Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has been linked with the job, while reports in Italy link Diego Simeone and Luciano Spalletti with the position, but club captain Icardi wants Pioli to be given more time.
"I think the club has faith in him, because he has proved his qualities and the coach has given us a great deal," he told Mediaset Premium. "At the moment everything is going wrong, now he will talk to the club and we'll see what happens."
Icardi, speaking after the loss to Fiorentina in which he scored a hat trick, added that he is at a loss to explain Inter's poor form.
"We can't explain it," he said. "We just have to look at the errors we made and fix them. Above all, we need to be more determined and aware we are representing a great side.
"In my view, our team deserves to get into the Europa League. There are five games to go, we have to give it our all until May 28.
"I cannot explain what has happened over the last month. Everything is going wrong, we seem unable to turn this situation around. It is us players and the staff who must find a way out of this negative period.
"It is not worthy of Inter to play the way we have been doing lately."
Inter had led Fiorentina 2-1 at half-time before going 5-2 down, but eventually rallied and only lost by a single goal.
"There's not much we can say, the second half was inexplicable," Icardi said. "We should have finished the game off after the break, but instead conceded four goals in 15 minutes and we simply cannot afford to do that."