Mourinho praises Inter response

(GETTY IMAGES)

Internazionale coach Jose Mourinho praised the response of his players to defeat last weekend as they booked their place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia at the expense of AS Roma.

Mourinho was critical of Inter's performance in Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Atalanta, but admitted he was heartened by their display in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Roman side.

Goals from Adriano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic booked Inter's place in the last four of the competition.

"This victory is a very good reaction to the defeat we suffered on Sunday in Bergamo," admitted Mourinho.

"When we play in that fashion, everything is better - both on and off the field.

"For this reason I am happy and so are the players as we don't like to lose."

Meanwhile, Inter have quashed reports linking veteran defender Marco Materazzi with a move away from the club.

The 35-year-old, who helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup, was said to be a target of Tottenham, Portsmouth and Manchester City during this month's transfer market.

However, Inter's sporting director Marco Branca said: "We have not received any offers from any English teams for Marco Materazzi.

"Marco is under contract with Inter until June 2010.”

Elsewhere, Massimo Mutarelli has managed to put an end to his nightmare at Lazio by signing for Bologna.

The 31-year-old midfielder moved to Rome from Palermo in the summer of 2006 and was a regular in the Lazio starting line-up during his first two seasons with the club, scoring four times in 54 appearances.

However, Mutarelli has been frozen out of the first-team picture this term after falling out with president Claudio Lotito.

Bologna midfielder Christian Amoroso is determined to hold on to his first-team place and earn a new contract at the Renato Dall'Ara.

Amoroso, 32, was recalled to the starting line-up for last weekend's victory against Catania after a spell on the sidelines through injury.

The former Fiorentina midfielder is out of contract at the end of the current season but is determined to make himself indispensable to coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

"Staying on the sidelines is never easy and from the moment in which I recovered, I did not have great possibility of playing," he admitted.

"However, I always trained at my best, believing in my possibilities and in the moment I was called in action, I was prepared.

"My objective is that of staying for a long time at Bologna.”