Inter Milan legend Marco Materazzi has heaped praise on sacked Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas.

The pair worked together at Inter while AVB was an assistant of Jose Mourinho.

Materazzi recalled: "At Inter, he was not a man from the pitch, but he was a tactician, and the two of us, we had a good feeling. I think it was a winning one.

"One who is the coach knows it is a profession with highs and lows. A year at Inter, he told me: 'It is right that I go' even though I asked him to stay and we would win everything. Pure Mou, who meant so much to him, he pushed to go to train alone.

"He arrived in Portugal in mid-season with a team in the relegation zone and led them to mid-table. Then with Porto we all know the what he achieved.

"A return to Inter? From his sacking at Chelsea he may have learned many things. And he was the one who took the heavy responsibility of going against some major players like Lampard or Drogba. At least this is what I read.

"Certainly everyone at Inter would expect a very changed man. But its not in my hands, you have to ask the decision makers in the club."