The 45-year-old Portuguese was unveiled to the Italian media after agreeing a three-year contract to replace Roberto Mancini.

Mourinho addressed the press in near-flawless Italian and revealed he had been learning the language since the club first made contact nearly three months ago.

He said: "I think the truth is important and the truth is that the first time Inter spoke to me was the day after they lost the second match against Liverpool (on March 11).

"I started to learn Italian then, but it is easy - I only have problems with the temporal verbs, but the words come easy."

However, Mourinho admitted there was another reason for him becoming so fluent.

"I am very intelligent," he said.

Mancini initially announced he would step down at the end of the season after the Liverpool defeat and, although he later reversed his decision, Inter revealed that outburst had been a big factor in their decision to sack him last week.

Mourinho has been out of work since he parted company with Chelsea last September and admitted the west London club still had a place in his heart.

In a three-year spell at Stamford Bridge, the former Porto boss endeared himself to Blues fans, most notably by guiding them to consecutive Premier League titles in his first two seasons in charge.

Despite his memorable time in west London, Mourinho wants to focus on a new chapter in his life at the San Siro.

"I will always, always, always support Chelsea and wish them all the best with their new coach, but if Chelsea meet Inter in the Champions League, then I won't know any of them," he said.

"Chelsea is over for me - not in my heart, but in my thoughts.

"At this moment, I want to start a new life and I do not want to talk about Chelsea.

"It will be hard, but I want to have the same passion with the fans of Inter and the same relationship with the players and carry joy to Inter in the same way I did for Chelsea."

Mourinho said he "cannot wait" to get working with the team on July 15, but said the first thing he will tell them is to forget about the past.

Inter have won the past three Serie A titles under their former boss Mancini, however Mourinho has warned his players that will count for nothing now that he has arrived at the club.

"A cycle has ended with a great coach like Roberto (Mancini), but this is a new page," he said.

"This is the start of a new life for Inter.

"We have to forget what we have won - that has been won and is history.

"We need to have new aims. I like to win and always put the past aside and think to the future.

"If somebody tells me that Inter won the league last season, I prefer to say Inter have won it 16 times, but those 16 are now history."

mfl