Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Luciano Spalletti coy on Inter Milan links, upset by Roma fans' boos

Luciano Spalletti says he was "hurt" by accusations of a rift between him and Francesco Totti but did not confirm reports that he would become Inter Milan's new manager as he spoke at a news conference after leaving Roma.

Speaking shortly after it had been confirmed he would be leaving them this summer, Spalletti said he did not deserve the boos and jeers he received from Roma fans at the weekend ahead of the 3-2 win against Genoa in Totti's final game.

"I probably made mistakes, but I always behaved coherently," Spalletti said. "I said strong things at times, but I had to. Anybody who says they did not help the group would realise that they were correct if they had been part of the group at that time.

"I heard and reheard the whistles on Sunday. I heard them before then too and they don't play on my conscience, but on the conscience of somebody who created a war between myself and Francesco Totti which did not exist.

"I don't deserve them, for the way I am and for the way I worked. Now, those people who created division must do the opposite because there's no Totti anymore.

"I'm sorry for this division. I don't think I did anything wrong, but I saw so many people whistling me on Sunday and I didn't like it; they hurt me. I don't deserve it."

Spalletti leaves Roma without having managed to deliver a trophy in 18 months at the helm, but acknowledging that nobody could rival Juventus this season.

"I thought that we had a strong squad and we had tried to build this squad, but then you've got to remember that there are other clubs," Spalletti said. "Juve deserved to win, but then we had other chances to win something and we failed those.

"Roma are a strong team, just like other strong teams: AC Milan, Inter, Juve, Roma and Napoli all expect to win. If [sporting director] Monchi is allowed to work well, he's going to give an even bigger contribution to this club with his and [president James] Pallotta's desire.

"I came [third] last year and second this year. It didn't go as well as I would have liked, but I don't want to hear people saying coming second this season was a walk in the park. But the ingredients are there to make an even better Roma."

Spalletti has tipped either Eusebio Di Francesco or Vincenzo Montella to replace him as Roma coach.

"Has Di Francesco already been announced or is it a trap and you think I'm stupid?" Spalletti said at a news conference in Rome when asked what he thought of Di Francesco as his successor. "I hope that Roma's next coach will be one of Montella or Di Francesco because they know Roma and their memories of Roma have not been erased, even if their jobs have taken them elsewhere."

However, he remained coy over links with the vacant Inter Milan manager's position.

"I am now free to do what I want, as of today. I can speak with whoever I want," he added. "I was just interested in finishing the job well here and [sporting director] Monchi knows that it is like that. I'm not really interested and I don't even want to know what other people think of me.

"From now on, I will speak to those who want to make use of me as their coach. I will organise something with whoever offers me something, only if I like it. If I don't like it, then I won't take it."

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