Stars back under-fire Moratti

Internazionale players past and present have rallied round club president Massimo Moratti, who has come under increased pressure to stand down after a miserable first half of the season. Christian Vieri, Javier Zanetti, Clarence Seedorf and Roberto Baggio all told onefootball.com that Moratti must stay.

Inter's start to the season has been nothing short of wretched. Under Marcello Lippi, they were dumped out of the Champions' League at the qualifying stage by Swedish side Helsingborg. Their poor form continued in the domestic game, and after an opening-day defeat to Reggina, Lippi departed.

He was replaced by former Italy great Marco Tardelli, under whose guidance the San Siro giants have fared little better. League form has remained patchy, while Inter suffered an embarrassing Coppa Italia exit, losing the first leg in Parma 6-1.

In November, Moratti was re-elected president of the club – but as long as Inter continue to underachieve, he remains under pressure.

Moratti broke the record for the world's most expensive signing when he bought Christian Vieri for £31.1 million from Lazio in 1998. And the injury-hit striker was one of the first to spring to Moratti's defence. He told onefootball.com: "Our position in the table is beginning to be a slight worry. But Moratti will stay as our president for years to come."

Club captain Zanetti said: "It's maybe too easy to call this period a crisis for us, but that's what it is. But we have to help Moratti and try to make him happy. He's such a great man and he really does not deserve this. The same goes for the club and its fans."

And Seedorf added: "When I last saw Moratti, he was stronger than ever. There is nothing to worry about."

Moratti, who has been in charge of the club since 1995, has long family links with the club where his father, Angelo, was president between 1955 and 1968.

He has been one of the biggest-spending presidents even by the extravagant standards of Italian football and has concluded two deals that were world records at the time.

In 1997 he lured Brazilian superstar Ronaldo from Barcelona for £18 million and then set that world transfer record to land Vieri.

But apart from the 1998 Uefa Cup victory, trophy success has been elusive under Moratti junior. Incumbent coach Tardelli is the ninth to take the helm under his regime.

Moratti is desperate to emulate the success of his father, who oversaw a golden age for the club. During his reign, they lifted the Italian title, European Cup and Intercontinental Cup (World Club Championship) in his reign.

Moratti himself admitted that Lippi struggled to win over the fans after selling crowd favourite Roberto Baggio. He said after sacking the coach: "Something had gone irrevocably wrong, even with the supporters, for whom I have the utmost esteem and respect. They did not forgive him for the past. They didn’t forgive him the sale of Roberto Baggio or the run of bad results."

And even Baggio had words of support for the president. He told onfootbal.com: "I hope that Moratti stays. I spoke to him before the game between Brescia and Inter and he will not leave. In fact, I think he will be even stronger.

"I hope, for Inter's sake, that he remains, simply because it is not easy to find a president like him."