Football: Furious Mancini cancels Easter Sunday off for Inter

MILAN (REUTERS) - Angry Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini cancelled his players' day off and ordered them in for an early morning training session on Sunday after they were held to a 1-1 home draw by bottom-of-the-table Parma.

Inter confirmed on their website (www.inter.it) that the first team had trained at 8.30am local time (2.30pm in Singapore), watched by club vice-president Javier Zanetti and sporting director Piero Ausilio.

Mancini was furious at his players' attitude after Saturday's draw left them joint ninth alongside Genoa and 10 points adrift of the European places. "I'm sorry that the situation, instead of improving, has worsened," he told reporters after the game.

"You always hope that things will change," he added. "The last four weeks have been very bad, especially in terms of the results and also because of the second-half performance (against Parma).

"These are things that I cannot explain well... We played without bite, without malice and that's something I do not like."

Ausilio said Inter's remaining games would help make important decisions for next season.

"No rest at Easter? The players have rested the day before the match, so it is right that they train (on Sunday)," he said. "We are working towards the future and these last nine games will help of all us judge and understand who is an Inter player and who isn't.

He refused to accept that an impatient San Siro crowd had affected his players.

"If they want to wear this shirt, then they can't fail at San Siro," he said. "It's our home, with our public and we shouldn't be afraid of anyone. (San Siro) should be something that is in our favour, we are not going to duck our responsibilities."

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