MILAN Italy AP Italian soccer powerhouse Internazionale on Tuesday signed Romanian Mircea Lucescu to coach the star-studded but volatile Milan team through the end of the Serie A campaign in May. Lucescu's appointment on a reported one billion lire dlrs 555000 contract was announced at Inter's training camp the day after the sensational dismissal of Gigi Simoni. The Italian veteran coach was fired on Monday despite consecutive wins which kept Inter in the running for titles in the Champions Cup and in the Italian League. Club president and oil industrialist Massimo Moratti had bitterly criticized the quality of Inter's play following a 3-1 victory against defending champion Real Madrid in a Champions League game last Wednesday and an injury-time 2-1 win against low-ranked Salernitana in a league match Sunday. Inter whose roster includes such stars as Ronaldo Youri Djorkaeff Roberto Baggio Diego Simeone and Ivan Zamorano is currently sixth in the league standings five points behind leader Fiorentina. Its record is five wins two draws and four losses. Lucescu a former coach of the Romanian national team and of several clubs 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 told reporters. ``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 enjoyed a record of 60000 season tickets this year after it won the UEFA 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 season start of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo who has been repeatedly sidelined with knee tendinitis and failed to provide the Milan team the decisive support and goals given in the previous campaign. Simoni had been also frequently criticized for his overly defensive tactics. Lucescu 53 was expected to keep Inter's bench warm for Italian coach Marcello Lippi who may leave league champion Juventus of Turin at the end of this season and join Inter for the 1998-99 campaign. However Moratti denied a decision for the next season had been taken already. ``Lucescu can prove he deserves to coach a great team. He could be a more lasting solution'' Moratti said. UR; pv APW19981201.0387.txt.body.html APW19981201.0068.txt.body.html