Inter Milan manager Mancini only hurriedly flew back from Manchester to Milan the following afternoon.
He had taken leave to appear in court in the UK over a contract dispute with his former agent.
Though he hadn't had time to watch the match live in the UK, he learned on his phone right away that Inter Milan had beaten Napoli 3–2 away from home. The result genuinely surprised him!
He had thought there was a 90% chance Inter Milan would lose at Stadio San Paolo, known as a fortress.
Before signing his coaching contract with Inter Milan, Mancini had discussed his performance targets with the board. The main requirement was to finish in the top three and secure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League.
Neither the board nor Mancini himself had mentioned the relatively unimportant Coppa Italia.
They had given up on the domestic cup from the outset.
But now that they had won and reached the semifinals, Mancini felt it was a nice bonus.
Whether or not they ultimately won the Coppa Italia was beside the point.
Mancini was more interested in how the team had won at Napoli's home ground!
After all, he hadn't been in charge for the match.
Mancini thought it over for a while but didn't call assistant coach Herrera.
Instead, he asked Chivu to come to the training ground manager's office and report on how the match had unfolded.
This brief meeting was nowhere near as formal as the usual post-match gatherings.
The two of them lounged on the sofa, chatting.
"I'd just arrived at the training ground when I heard you canceled this morning's practice?" Mancini asked.
"Yes, Mr. Mancini. The players have had two matches in a week and are exhausted. Besides, they won—at Stadio San Paolo, no less! We