Mihajlovic expecting mixed reaction on Inter return

February 21, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic says he will come up against old enemies as well as old friends when former club Inter Milan are in town this weekend.

Mihajlovic joined Inter in 2004 as a player and went on to become assistant coach under Roberto Mancini but both were given their marching orders at the end of last season, despite Inter winning a third straight title.

The Serbian then took over from Daniele Arrigoni at Bologna in November and started his tenure by leading the club on a nine-match unbeaten run in the league.

Now he will welome his past employers with mixed emotions, claiming that he will nevertheless offer his hand to everyone he comes across.

"I don’t know if they will do the same with me," he said. "I had four great years in Milan, I’ve kept good relations with everyone, well almost. My conscience is clean, I can look everyone straight in the eye.

"I don’t know if they will be able to look me straight in the eye, players or managers.

"I had to manage the changing rooms sometimes and sometimes I had arguments with players, but these things happen. But for me all that’s in the past, I’m not someone who holds grudges.

"It’s better to be open than to say things behind people’s backs, I’ve always behaved in that way. But maybe some of them have an unclean conscience."

Leaders Inter come into the match with a nine-point cushion to the rest of Serie A following last weekend’s 2-1 victory in the Milan derby. They will also have one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Manchester United.

Coach Jose Mourinho is likely to rest some players particularly given the Italian press virtually accused Fulham of giving United the night off in the European champions’ 3-0 victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

With the scudetto seemingly already decided, Inter’s focus will be entirely on the Champions League, the tournament Mourinho was brought to the club to win after Mancini’s exit in the second round last season at the hands of Liverpool.

Below Inter, the race is on to finish in a Champions League qualification position with Juventus and AC Milan finding themselves closer to the chasing pack than they probably hoped to be.

Just seven points separate Juve in second from AS Roma in sixth while seventh placed Cagliari, who have exhibited Champions League qualification form since losing their first five matches of the season, are only another three points back.

They travel to Milan on Sunday in a match that could go a long way to demonstrating whether or not they really are capable of challenging for a top four finish, following a victory at Juventus and a draw at Inter last month.

Milan, for their part, need to bounce back quickly from their last two league results, the derby defeat and a home draw with rock bottom Reggina.

"We have to think about winning, Cagliari are on hot form and are doing really well," said striker Filippo Inzaghi, who equalled Raul’s record of 66 European goals by scoring in Wednesday’s 1-1 UEFA Cup draw at Werder Bremen.

Juve face a tricky trip to Sicily to face Palermo, themselves in the running to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

They already won in Turin earlier this season and would dearly love to get another one over returning Brazil forward Amauri, who left the Sicilians for Juve in the summer.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Bologna v Inter Milan, Palermo v Juventus, AS Roma v Siena

Sunday

AC Milan v Cagliari, Catania v Reggina, Fiorentina v Chievo, Lecce v Lazio, Napoli v Genoa, Sampdoria v Atalanta, Torino v Udinese

Written by: AFP