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Zamparini launches attack on Ancelotti

The outspoken Zamparini, who has a reputation for the outrageous and for sacking managers on a whim, was responding to suggestions during an interview with website calcissimo.com that he had unloaded a flop on PSG when he sold them Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore for 40 million euro.

He quickly turned his ire on the Champions League-winning Ancelotti.

"Pastore is not a flop, Pastore is a phenomenon. Ancelotti does not know anything about football," said Zamparini, who was four weeks into a self-imposed six-month media blackout when he made the outburst.

"And do you know what I say? I'm glad that they lost in the Champions League [1-0 away at Porto], and that hopefully he'll learn not to play Nene in place of Pastore. I don't rate him as a manager.

"Pastore is still a young lad of 23 years who has found himself surrounded by the wrong people, but he remains a phenomenon."

Ancelotti is a four-times winner of the European Cup, having won it twice as an AC Milan player and twice as the club's manager.

Zamparini's volatile relationship with coaches has earned him the nickname "Manager-Eater" and he has fired 41 coaches since moving into football 26 years ago.