Inter president Massimo Moratti has warned that Argentina forward Diego Milito will not be allowed to leave the club as easily as coach Jose Mourinho.
Milito scored both goals for Inter in their 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the final of Europe's premier club competition on Saturday, thus securing a first ever treble for an Italian club.
With Inter coach Jose Mourinho expected to join Real Madrid in the coming days, reports in Italy have claimed Milito could also be on his way out the San Siro despite having a contract until 2013.
However, Moratti warned that allowing Mourinho to leave is not the same thing as letting Milito go.
"I can only say that there is a difference between Milito and our coach Mourinho," Moratti said on the club's official website www.inter.it.
"Mourinho has a clause which can allow him to leave. Milito doesn't."
Mourinho's achievement at Inter could, it has been suggested in some reports, ease his path to Real Madrid - who, as things stand, would have to pay Inter compensation as the Portuguese is still under contract.
And Moratti admitted they are already on the lookout for a replacement.
"I am more attracted by the idea of an up-and-coming coach with quality, but you have to find one with new ideas so maybe it's also good to find someone who can help this group positively through his experience," he added, although ruling out former coach Roberto Mancini who is now at Manchester City.
"No, I don't think it's possible. I think he likes living in England so bringing him back here in these difficulties would be spiteful."
Serbian Sinisa Mihajlovic, an assistant to Mancini at Inter, has been mooted as Mourinho's replacement.
Moratti added: "Mihajlovic certainly has character. He learns quickly, he's respected by the players, he's a friend of the players, so there's great respect for the man because I have a kept a very good relationship with him.
"But this doesn't mean I have made a decision about him."
Meanwhile, Mourinho's agent held talks with Real Madrid bosses in the Spanish capital yesterday.
The agent, Jorge Mendes, who also represents Real's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, held talks for about 90 minutes with the club's director general Jorge Valdano and sporting director Miguel Pardeza.
Spanish sports dailies AS and Marca, reported on Sunday that Mourinho will sign a four-year deal with Real Madrid worth €10 million a year.
The stumbling block to the deal remains the talks with Inter, who are demanding €16 million to let him leave the Italian side, they said.
Mourinho told Portuguese television station TVI yesterday that the deal is almost a certainty but he wants to meet with Real officials first to get a clear understanding of what his role at the club would be.
"Things are practically ironed out. I want to meet the people, feel the pulse, know exactly what they want from me and the conditions, not the structures, because these I already know, to avoid any doubts when I begin my work," he said.