Inter president Massimo Moratti is remaining calm despite the likelihood that his club is about to lose coach Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese tactician led Inter to the best season in the club's history with a Coppa Italia, Serie A and Champions League treble.
But Mourinho, who is under contract until June 2012, has a get-out clause in his deal that he is expected to exercise as he continues to be heavily linked with Real Madrid.
Moratti said: "There's always hope but we have to respect the wish of a person who already thinks his task has already expired."
Mourinho admitted after Saturday's defeat of Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in Madrid that he was keen to fill a post at the Bernabeu, even though the manager's job is still occupied by Manuel Pellegrini.
Mourinho is set to meet Moratti in the next 48 hours to decide his future.
"I prefer to have a personal meeting rather than having others mediate," said Moratti. "That meeting has not taken place.
"It will take place in the next few days."
Several coaches have been linked with Inter as a replacement for Mourinho but Manchester City's Roberto Mancini is not one of them.
Moratti has ruled out a return to the San Siro for Mancini.
"No, I don't think that for him this is the path to follow," he said.
"I believe he is happy in England, that he likes living in England and hence, to bring him back in this difficult situation would be offensive."
Mancini's former assistant Sinisa Mihajlovic, an ex-defender at Inter and the current boss of Catania has been mentioned in the Italian press as a candidate as well as Dutchman Guus Hiddink.
"Mihajlovic certainly has character and is a fast learner," Moratti said.
"He is liked by the players. He is a friend of the players.
"We have a very good rapport with him but that doesn't mean that he could be the one chosen, even though from a personal standpoint it would be a choice I would like to make.
"Honestly, I have not decided yet."
In Madrid there is persistent speculation that Mourinho is on his way to the Bernabeu.
According to Spain's leading sports newspaper Marca, Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes is negotiating a four-year contract with the Spanish giants.