Inter Milan president Erick Thohir has given the strongest signal yet that coach Walter Mazzarri's job is hanging in the balance amid speculation that Roberto Mancini is ready to take over at the Serie A club.

Mazzarri has been under fire following a poor start to the season that has seen the Nerazzurri lose ground in the race for a place in Europe.

Inter, Italy's last Champions League winners, in 2010, have failed to qualify for the competition the past three seasons and currently sit eighth in Serie A, 10 points behind leaders Juventus after just eight games.

Mancini, who helped Inter to a club record of three consecutive titles, two Cups and two Super Cups during a four-year spell in 2004-2008, is currently out of work after leaving Galatasaray last season.

The 49-year-old was among the spectators at Cesena on Sunday where Inter eked out a 1-0 win and was later seen greeting several Inter directors, according to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport.

Thohir admitted he would prefer to avoid changing coach mid-season, but he added in an interview with Viva Bola: "We have to analyse the situation of the coach in as fair a way as possible.

"We'll see over the next two games, but changing our coach in the middle of the season is never a good solution. We want to give him another opportunity."

Mazzarri has been defiant, saying Sunday: "Listen, I think that after 11 years of top flight football I've managed to shoulder a lot of things, I've seen everything.

"I know that when it comes to Inter, the pressure is on a global scale."

Inter's resolve will be tested on Wednesday when they host high-flying Sampdoria, who along with Juventus are the league's only other unbeaten side.

Sampdoria sit fourth, only six points off the pace. Inter follow that with a trip to basement side Parma next weekend but after hosting Verona the following week Mazzarri's men face two tough away encounters to AC Milan and title challengers Roma at the end of November.