Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic denied insulting manager Roberto Mancini as he was substituted towards the end of the 2-1 victory over Palermo on Sunday. The Swede was angry, refusing to shake hands with Mancini and murmuring words which Italian television interpreted as "I hope he quits." But Ibrahimovic denied the allegation. "I never said anything disrespectful against the coach," Ibrahimovic said in a statement carried by the club website. "When I came off the pitch, I was expressing my disappointment over the substitution and the missed chances." In the post-match press conference, Mancini said that his player's behavior was "understandable." He added: "I was a player and I did things like this before." The incident heaps more pressure on Mancini, who has just made a U-turn on his decision to quit in the end of the season. Mancini said after his side bowed out of the Champions League after losing 3-0 on aggregate to Liverpool that he will leave in the summer. But the former Lazio boss had a change in heart and said he regretted what he announced. Italy's great coach Fabio Capello, who is now in charge of England, criticized Mancini and said he shouldn't quit his team in such a hard time. "In hard times, the commander of a ship must stay in charge," Capello said.
