Zanetti backs under-fire Ranieri

Posted Sunday, February 19, 2012 by Supersport.com

Captain Javier Zanetti has backed under-fire coach Claudio Ranieri as Inter Milan's horror run continued with a fifth defeat in six matches.

Inter lost for the second game in a row at home to relegation candidates as Bologna humiliated them 3-0 at the San Siro on Friday night.

It was also the fifth time in their last six matches that the nerazzurri had failed to score and they have now taken just one point from a possible 15 in the league.

Fans jeered during and after the Bologna defeat and chanted the name of former coach Jose Mourinho, while Inter president Massimo Moratti stormed out halfway through the second period, unable to stomach any more of the feeble performance produced by the team.

After the match, Ranieri said he would not be standing down and Zanetti, who less than two years ago lifted the Champions League trophy, says the players are behind the coach.

"It's a difficult moment, we haven't managed to get a result in the last few games," said the veteran Argentine.

"This can happen and it's up to us to pull ourselves out of it and try to start again calmly.

"There's no doubt that there is synchronism between the team and the coach. We're all together, we're working hard to do our best but after many years of success, this is a difficult moment."

Inter have a crucial week coming up as they travel to Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday and then face a trip to Napoli in Serie A next weekend.

"We all take responsibility, starting with me, and we'll try from Wednesday to redeem ourselves in the Champions League and then to get some points in the league against Napoli," added Zanetti, who denied the players were missing Mourinho as much as the fans.

"He left his mark as we won everything with him but now there are other things that need to be ironed out and we need to all stick together."