A failed quest to secure UEFA Champions League soccer next season has left Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic considering his future at the Serie A giants, despite signing a new deal only months ago.
A patchy 2-1 home win over a resilient Empoli on Saturday meant Roberto Mancini’s men secured fourth spot in Italy’s top flight with one game remaining. The Nerazzurri are guaranteed playing in next season’s UEFA Europa League, but that leaves Slovenia international Handanovic waiting even longer to fulfill his dream of playing and winning Europe’s premier club competition.
“I have a contract, but in football you never know,” Handanovic said at the San Siro in Milan. “Not participating in the Champions League is a big blow for me, as it is every year. It is, and will always be, my main objective.”
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Handanovic, who will miss next weekend’s final league outing away to US Sassuolo through suspension, signed a contract extension with Inter earlier this season that should see him remain at the club until June 2019, but a host of Europe’s top clubs could now be watching the situation closely.
Handanovic is one of the best shot-stoppers in Italy’s notoriously difficult top flight and has conceded only 35 goals — marginally less than a goal a game.
“It’s weighing on everyone the fact we won’t be playing in it,” said Mancini, who won seven trophies, including three consecutive league titles, in his previous spell at the club between 2004 and 2008.
In 2010, Inter clinched the treble under former coach Jose Mourinho, but have not played in the Champions League since 2012, when they failed to get past Marseille in the round-of-16.
“As a club, the Champions League is a competition Inter should always be involved in,” Mancini added.
Although Inter’s top striker Mauro Icardi has been linked with a move away from the San Siro, the Argentine is believed to want to stay at the club, while fellow forward Stevan Jovetic said he had no problem committing himself to Inter next season.
Jovetic has not had the best of seasons with Inter following his arrival from Manchester City, but is determined to make his mark at the club.
“It was important for us to finish fourth because we’ll play the Europa League. For me, that’s OK,” the Montenegro international said. “I haven’t spoken to the coach or the club yet, but we will sit down soon. I want to stay here.”
Jovetic believes his performances would improve if, as he has done recently, he partners Icardi on a more regular basis.
“We have to play more regularly together. After four or five games, the results speak for themselves,” he said.
In Saturday’s other Serie A match, Carlos Bacca’s first-half penalty secured a precious 1-0 win at Bologna as struggling Serie A giants AC Milan continued their bid to qualify for next season’s Europa League.
Seven-time European champions Milan have failed to hit the heights for the past few seasons and owner Silvio Berlusconi said last week he is ready to sell the club to “the right buyer, preferably an Italian.”
In the meantime, Milan are battling to beat US Sassuolo to finish in sixth place, which will bring with it a Europa League spot if champions Juventus beat Milan in the Coppa Italia final.
Bacca said a repeat performance in the Cup final in Rome on May 21 would leave Milan needing to finish in sixth place.
“It won’t be enough. We need to play a lot better if we’re going to beat Juventus,” the Colombia striker told Sky Sport.
Bologna have secured top-flight soccer for next season under Roberto Donadoni, who was parachuted in in October last year after the club plummeted under the guidance of Delio Rossi.
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