Roberto Mancini joked with Sampdoria Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and said Inter won’t underestimate the Coppa Italia.
The Nerazzurri host Samp on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT and the winners go on to face Napoli or Udinese on February 4.
“The Coppa Italia is still an important trophy and if we can win it then that’s always better,” Mancio told Inter Channel.
Roberto Mancini joked with Sampdoria Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and said Inter won’t underestimate the Coppa Italia.
The Nerazzurri host Samp on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT and the winners go on to face Napoli or Udinese on February 4.
“The Coppa Italia is still an important trophy and if we can win it then that’s always better,” Mancio told Inter Channel.
“The Coppa tends to be snubbed by certain teams early on, as there are more important tournaments, but at the end of the day it is still silverware and winning is always a pleasure.”
Mancini’s opponent is one of his best friends, as he and Mihajlovic go back to their days together at Sampdoria and the Serbian was his assistant manager at Inter.
However, Sinisa will be in the stands due to a touchline ban.
“It would’ve been even better if he had been on the bench, as that would’ve been the first time we’d faced off like that. Do I have advice for him? Yes, change that waistcoat under the jacket!
“Besides, it’s always special for me to take on Sampdoria. They have been doing very well since the start of the season and deserve their current position.
“Aside from the draw at Empoli, where our performance was not good, we can feel pretty happy with the improvements over the last month. A single bad game shouldn’t make our heads drop, as long as we learn from those mistakes with humility.
“The fans shouldn’t get downhearted either, as there are 19 Serie A rounds left and in difficult moments we must think positive.
“The fact we didn’t lose a game that we could well have lost is already something positive.”