Soccer Extreme : Today Inter coach Jose Mourinho held his first pre-match press conference of the new season, ahead of tomorrow's opening match against Bari. As usual, the Portuguese tactician did not hesitate to make a number of controversial remarks.Speaking exclusively to Goal.com Italia, the 46-year-old coach talked about the recent polemics with his Roma colleague Luciano Spalletti and Italy boss Marcello Lippi involving the latter's prediction that Juventus will win the Scudetto.
"For me it's not a problem, I'm not the coach of Portugal, I'm a prestigious coach but without responsibilities, but if they ask me for a prediction I won't give it, it's a question of principle," he said.
"And when Spalletti said I lacked respect, he should remember that I spoke after a press conference about Inter-Roma in which he was very disrespectful toward us. He should remember it and I also want to tell him that he should work better, because with the team he has he could win everything.
"In any case, we'll see at the end of the season who was the strongest, because almost always the best team wins."
When he was reminded that in past seasons Lippi had predicted Inter would win the league, Mourinho said: "Favorites is one thing, it's another thing to make an explicit declaration. But I agree with Lippi that this is over now."
Asked to make a prediction for next summer's World Cup, he said: "It's difficult, because there are always four or five teams that start out to win, the two South American nations plus the Europeans, and then the possible African surprises, but in the end the winner will be a traditional one.
"It's a bit like Serie A, where if you say Inter, Juve, Milan, Fiorentina, Roma or Palermo are going to win, you can't go wrong and you don't show who you want to win."
Finally, in response to Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara's claim that Mourinho's polemics with Lippi started because he is afraid of the Bianconeri, the Inter coach said: "Sure..." (goal)