Roberto Mancini insisted Inter “did not deserve” a 3-0 defeat to Milan and “maybe the referee doesn’t know the rules.”

The Nerazzurri were top of the table less than a month ago, but are now fourth in Serie A and this week alone have lost 3-0 to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final and now their city rivals.

Roberto Mancini insisted Inter “did not deserve” a 3-0 defeat to Milan and “maybe the referee doesn’t know the rules.”

The Nerazzurri were top of the table less than a month ago, but are now fourth in Serie A and this week alone have lost 3-0 to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final and now their city rivals.

“Compliments to Milan, but we did not deserve this result. At the moment everything is going wrong for us,” Mancio told Mediaset Premium and Sky Sport Italia.

He was sent off when Eder appealed for a penalty in a collision with Gigio Donnarumma, but replays show the goalkeeper got the ball.

“I didn’t say anything offensive, but referees are so susceptible nowadays. I don’t know what to say on the Donnarumma incident. Maybe Antonio Damato doesn’t know the rules…

“I think we had an excellent first half and there should’ve been some red cards for last man fouls in our favour. Today the referee and his collaborators were a disaster, the worst on the pitch.

“We deserved to end the first half 1-0 up, not 1-0 down. We put in a good first half performance and I could not have asked for any more from my lads. After the penalty miss there was a psychological collapse.”

Mauro Icardi fired the spot-kick on to the upright and that would’ve been the equaliser, but moments later Milan went 2-0 and then 3-0 up through Carlos Bacca and M’Baye Niang.

“It hurts because it’s the Derby and we’re in a period where things keep going wrong. We absolutely should not have lost this game.

“We were in it up to the penalty, then with that miss and their second goal, it was over. If you don’t score a chance like that in such a delicate moment, the team will lose confidence.

“It’s a shame because we threw away some of the good work we’d done up until three weeks ago, wasting the advantage we had. It’s a difficult moment, we have the quality to emerge from this moment and I am convinced.

“There are times when things don’t go your way and this is one of them. We had chances, we wasted them and we paid for that.”

Icardi was surprisingly left on the bench, while Eder was thrown straight into the starting XI with Stevan Jovetic. Why did Mancini make that choice?

“Because I decided to play Jovetic. He could give few reference points and allow Eder to attack behind him, which they did for the first half-hour.

“We’ve changed between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, so it’s not a huge difference. These are the same players who were top of the table for the entire first half of the season and did really well.

“We are disappointed at this moment, but these are our players and by rolling our sleeves up we’ll emerge from it.

“I am sure we’ll get out of this all together. I have nothing to reproach my players tonight, as until the second goal we were right in the game. If there is any blame, it is mine.”

Mancini could also be penalised because he was pictured flipping ‘the bird’ at Milan supporters after he was sent off from the touchline for dissent.

“Yes, I admit it. I went off and people were hurling all sorts of insults at me, so I admit I did it. Those people should not have been there.”

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