Former Inter Milan coach Gigi Simoni is full of praise for Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa.

Simoni knows Sousa well, as the Portuguese star was his midfielder at Inter.

“Sousa was always a player with a great brain and sound tactical sense. He was basically a Coach even at the time. That Inter side was built around Ronaldo and he needed spaces to run into, so the right tactic was to wait and hit our opponents on the counter.

“Sousa was formidable when it came to controlling the ball. Diego Simeone, however, was perfect for sparking the counter, so I was forced to pick the Argentine. Of course, he too had a strong brain and turned into an excellent Coach.

“Clearly Sousa wasn't happy with my decision, but he behaved like the perfect professional."