Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte has urged fans not to abandon them.

Inter meet Cagliari on Sunday after being bundled out of Europe for the season in midweek.

Conte said, "The Champions League exit was painful for me and the players. We believed in our chances and had put the situation back on track after it became very difficult with the defeat to Real Madrid.

“It's disappointing to go out because we were unable to score a goal. Now we have to metabolise it, lift our heads up and keep going.

“The message I want to send to the fans is don't make it easier for those who are relishing this moment and hope that we'll self-destruct after all we've done over the last year-and-a-half. I see too much negativity.

“Don't make it easier for those who want to destroy us, because they see we can reap the rewards of this work in future. We must remain united, remembering this process already took us to second place in Serie A, the Europa League Final and the Coppa Italia semi-final.

“We only started it last year, but already regained credibility. We must have faith. I understand the impatience after 10 years of winning nothing, but we must also understand that when you rebuild from the foundations, that is what takes the most time. Once you have the foundations, you can build a skyscraper, the kind Inter fans deserve.

“Please, let us not offer ourselves up to those who are enjoying Inter's problems, to those who hate Inter and want its destruction. We want what is good for Inter and we want to build."