This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
Luigi Simoni, a renowned Italian football coach, has died at the age of 81, as announced by Inter Milan on Friday, May 22, 2020.
Simoni, who coached a dozen teams in Italy, including Inter Milan, and Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, had a coaching career spanning over 30 years.
He joined Inter Milan in the 1997-98 season, alongside the signing of Brazilian star Ronaldo from Barcelona. Under Simoni's leadership, the team secured second place in Serie A behind Juventus and reached the UEFA Cup final, where they defeated Lazio 3-0.
"I learned more from Ronaldo than he did from me that season," Simoni said, reflecting on his time with the team.
However, Simoni's tenure at Inter Milan was cut short in November 1998, when he was sacked after a poor run of results, despite being awarded the Panchina d'Oro award for coach of the year.
Inter Milan remembered Simoni as a humble and functional coach, who made the most of his team's abilities. "His way of living, both in life and football, was never over the top. His football reflected that: it was humble, functional and capable of making the most of what he had on offer," the club said in a statement.
