MILAN Italy AP Internazionale on Tuesday signed Romanian Mircea Lucescu to replace Gigi Simoni as coach of the star-studded but volatile Milan team through the end of the Italian Serie A season in May. Lucescu's hiring for a reported 1 billion lire dlrs 555000 was announced at Inter's training camp one day after the startling dismissal of Simoni. The Italian veteran was fired despite consecutive victories which kept Inter in contention for the European Champions Cup and Italian league titles. Club president Massimo Moratti bitterly criticized Inter's play following a 3-1 victory against defending champion Real Madrid in a European Champions League game last Wednesday and an injury-time 2-1 victory against lightly regarded Salernitana in a league match Sunday. Inter whose roster includes Ronaldo Youri Djorkaeff Roberto Baggio Diego Simeone and Ivan Zamorano is in sixth place in the Italian league with a 5-2-4 record and 17 points five behind league-leading Fiorentina. Lucescu a former Romanian national team coach and manager of several club sides including Dynamo Bucharest and Italy's Brescia and Reggiana was presented to the Italian media at Appiano Gentile Tuesday afternoon. He then directed the first training session with Inter players for Sunday's league match against Vicenza. ``I will need time to change the team ... to switch to zone defense and make the play more offensive'' Lucescu said. ``I'm convinced I did the right thing'' Moratti said Tuesday. ``I think to have interpreted the feeling of our fans who were unhappy with the team play.'' Inter sold a record of 60000 season tickets this year after it won the UEFA Cup title and finished second to Juventus in the Italian league last season. Simoni whose stay with Inter was stormy since the beginning of his two-year contract said Tuesday he was the victim of ``an unfair unexpected decision.'' Some Italian sports dailies suggested that Simoni paid for the bad start of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo who has been repeatedly sidelined with tendinitis in his knee and failed to provide the Milan team with the goals and play he produced last season. Simoni also had been criticized frequently for his overly defensive tactics. Lucescu 53 is expected by many to be an interim manager until Italian Marcello Lippi can take over. Lippi is rumored to ben leaving league champion Juventus of Turin at the end of this season and could join Inter for the 1999-2000 season. However Moratti denied a decision for next season has been make. ``Lucescu can prove he deserves to coach a great team. He could be a more lasting solution'' Moratti said. APW19981201.1423.txt.body.html APW19981201.0344.txt.body.html