AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli admits he's a fan of Sampdoria counterpart Claudio Ranieri.

The two teams face-off later on Sunday.

“This is going to be a difficult game, as Sampdoria have some very good players. We must be sharp and tactically precise," said Pioli.

“It'll be nice to see Antonio Candreva and Claudio Ranieri again, always friends and opponents for just 90 minutes. Ranieri was a very important coach for me and he already gave me clear ideas on what I wanted to do when I retired as a player. I admire him a great deal.

“I cheered on his Leicester City when they won the Premier League, which was an incredible achievement."