Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has predicted his side will lift the Coppa Italia for the first time this season, beating Inter in the final.

The pink and blacks secured their place in the May 29 final last night with a 2-1 defeat of AC Milan in Sicily to complete a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Zamparini, a controversial figure in Italian football, admitted he couldn't bear to watch the game so milled around town instead.

"Now we're going to the final and we'll beat Inter 3-1," he said before lamenting past failures.

"This team is more mature than the one that blew qualification for the Champions League last season.

"I didn't watch the game as I normally do and I went for a drive around the city, looking at many lovely and suggestive places.

"At half-time I discovered it was 0-0. I arrived at the stadium in the 92nd minute with the score at 2-0 and I thought I would go and wave to the fans but as soon as I stepped foot on the pitch, Milan scored, so I went back to my office."

Despite his satisfaction in reaching the final, Zamparini said it wasn't the best moment in his nine-year tenure of the club as they haven't won yet.

"This joy cannot be compared with that of 2004 when we were promoted to Serie A.

"I will only celebrate after we've won the Coppa Italia. I was afraid because we were playing against an expert side and the fact that we always mess up in the crunch games."