AC Milan primavera coach Rino Gattuso has paid tribute to former teammate Andrea Pirlo after he announced his retirement this week.
Gattuso was asked if his work in midfield had actually made Pirlo better.
"Don't talk nonsense, let's not confuse Nutella with ****," he said.
“When I saw him play it made me think I had to change profession. Nobody knows that better than me, because I started playing with him at Italy Under-15 level and then all the youth teams after that.
“It wasn't only about his quality, but he was an animal covering 1000 metres, he had this athletic quality which is why he played until this age [38].
“He was someone who ran so much.
“I played with him for about 20 years when you consider the national youth teams, in difficult moments I just gave it to him, I always felt assured when I was next to him.
“I understood what I had to do, and he was taking care of the rest. He helped me much more in my career than I did him.
“In the dressing room? He's a big son of a… with all due respect to his mother! He teased me for months, he was very funny. I punched him more times than Bud Spencer did Terrence Hill!"
Source: tribalfootball.com