The pair have exchanged barbs in the media since their days together at Inter Milan, but Cuper said: "For me, he is a great player. We all know what happened, but I do not have any problem with him.

"In my opinion, he somewhat speaks wrongly. When I was at Inter, I must say that we always had a good relationship. One day I got up, I read the newspaper, I listened to the radio, television and I was cast as the devil. This was a surprise for me."

The Argentine added: "I hope that he returns to play. My desire is for him to have good fortune. I hope he returns quickly to play again."