Mourinho denies going to Milan

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LISBON (Reuters) - Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday he had not gone to Milan and was not close to signing a deal with Serie A leaders Inter.

His personal adviser Eladio Parames said on Friday the Portuguese had gone for talks with Inter directors. Other media reports said Mourinho had met club president Massimo Moratti but the former Porto coach denied this.

"I say clearly it is not true I went to Milan, nor that I met Moratti whom I don't know personally," Mourinho was quoted as saying by the Portuguese national agency Lusa.

"It is false I am on the point of signing for Inter."

The Italian champions have made no official statement but Moratti said on Thursday he was tired of denying rumours. Club directors were in Rome for Saturday's late league game at Lazio.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini announced after the Champions League last-16 defeat by Liverpool on March 11 he would resign at the end of the season, before changing his mind.

The former Lazio and Fiorentina coach, in charge since 2004, has four years left on his contract.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Mancini's position has remained unclear, however, with Inter's lead in Serie A being whittled down in recent weeks following patchy performances including last weekend's first home league defeat of the season to old rivals Juventus.

Mourinho, who surprisingly left Chelsea in September after winning two Premier League titles, has been long linked with the job by Italian media along with the Barcelona and AC Milan hot seats.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose side crashed out of the Champions League last month as holders and are fifth in Serie A, hailed Mourinho.

"He is a great coach. He likes to play a bit with the press and I think he would enjoy himself in Italy," he told a news conference.

"However, I don't think it is very correct talking about these things, at times spokesmen stretch things a bit too much to keep the market alive."

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