Inter Coach Roberto Mancini declared: "Empoli defended well and we didn't manage to find openings with our strikers and half-strikers. But we were in control and we knew the goal would come sooner or later.  We wouldn't have had any big problems if we had remained with eleven men, but we made things a bit hard for ourselves. However, I'm pleased with this hard-fought victory.  Empoli are a good team. They created problems for us and let's not forget that they beat Milan in Milan."

Regarding Empoli's penalty.  Mancini commented: "Julio Cesar's penalty save? I didn't think either of them were penalties. I was sure Julio Cesar would save it.

Mancini added that "Patrick made a mistake when he was sent off, and he knows this. But everything started from the penalty incident that saw us lose our serenity. An inexistent foul and a yellow card were given against us and that's when the match changed. This is wrong.

"We can't think we can play and win with ten men every Sunday, so we have to be more careful. It's the third time now. Unfortunately the role of referee is difficult. They are influenced too much by what the press says. The would referee much better if they listened less to the media.

Inter President Massimo Moratti said that Inter would have won in 2002 if it hadn't been for certain situations. "I think he's right," said Mancini. "Everyone should know this, and maybe Inter would have won more. Inter lost that championship, and maybe others, through no fault of their own.

"It's a different situation now though. I don't think the referees act in bad faith. Sometimes they make mistakes that have always been made in the world of football."