Massimo Moratti has decided to defend his decision to sack Roberto Mancini, claiming that Mancini's decision to quit the Serie A giants at the end of Inter Milan's defeat to Liverpool caused unrest in the Nerrazzurri dressing room.

Moratti told the Corriere della Sera: "This created imbalances within the team that forced everyone, managers and players included, to double and triple their energies.

"It's true that we all rowed in the same direction, but we were forced to row harder.

"It was not a whim. The most simple solution would have been to have continued with the coach with whom we won three consecutive championships.

"Nobody would have criticised me, everything would have been smooth.

"I intervened because I thought it was necessary, not against the coach, but in the interests of Inter."