Can Champions League Qualification Save Stramaccioni?

Inter Milan manager Andrea Stramaccioni is under massive pressure of losing his job as Nerazzuri’s poor form continues. Having started the league campaign in great style, Inter have faded away in the second half of the season and perhaps only Champions League qualification can save Stramaccioni.
The Nerazzuri have just won 3 Serie A games in 2013 and have struggled to find form. Currently the 2010 Champions League winners find themselves in 6th place in the league, only four points behind the final champions league place.
For now, Fiorentina occupy the fourth spot with 51 points as Inter, Lazio and Roma all chase qualification in Europe’s elite competition and have 47 points each. However, Inter Milan have a game in hand and that will be against none other than the best team in the country, the champions Juventus, on 30th March.
The Inter Milan manager is adamant that he will not be judged on a mere game or two but eventually the team’s position at the end of the season will give a better picture to whether he should stay in charge or not. Stramaccioni claimed a week back:

“My future will be decided by the results at the end of the campaign, not by one game”

Strama’s side lost their last league match 0-1 against a team struggling in the bottom half the league, Bologna. Although, Inter did recover from that defeat to produce a brilliant display against English side Tottenham in the Europa League, however their heroics were not enough as the Italians were ousted in extra time on away goals rule.
Besides Juve, Inter also have to face Lazio, Roma, Napoli and Udinese in the Serie A and these fixtures are by all means hard ones. If Inter are to qualify for the champions league then they must hit form now, the form that helped them beat Spurs, the form that inevitably defeated Milan and Juventus in the first half of the season.
In the end, the decision rests with Moratti. Whether or not he will sack Stramaccioni even if Inter do qualify for champions league, only time will tell but for now top 4 should be the realistic target as Inter failed to achieve that last year.
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