Felipe Melo slams his former coach: He never understood anything about football

In a candid interview with Gazzetta, former Inter and Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo did not hold back when discussing his ex-manager Frank de Boer. The Brazilian played under de Boer during the 2016-17 season, a period that saw the Dutch coach sacked after just 14 games in charge.

Melo, who only featured in four of those matches, made it clear that his memories of the short-lived partnership are far from positive.

"He never understood anything about football. He's just not capable," Melo told the Italian newspaper. The Brazilian also criticized de Boer's communication skills and his disrespectful comments about players like Gabigol, whom he mockingly called "Gabi-no-goal."

"He didn’t speak Italian, and everyone in the locker room couldn’t stand him. In fact, he lasted three months and then went on to collect disasters everywhere. Thank God Pioli arrived that year," Melo added, referring to Stefano Pioli, who replaced de Boer.

After his brief stint at Inter, de Boer went on to manage several other clubs, including Crystal Palace, Atlanta United, and Al Jazira, as well as the Netherlands national team. However, his coaching career has been marked by a series of high-profile failures and sackings.

Melo, who retired at 42, played a total of 38 matches for the Nerazzurri, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He also made 118 appearances in Italy's top flight for Juventus and Fiorentina.