And when the subject of Cristiano Ronaldo comes up alongside Pele, the former Benfica star urges caution.
"I will not compare," Simoes told Football Presse.
"It is a mistake to compare."
Many fans argue that modern stars would score even more goals if they played decades ago.
Simoes is not convinced.
"People ask if Pele played today, would he score more goals. That is not a very smart question."
Instead, he flips the debate on its head.
"The real question is this. Could Cristiano Ronaldo score the same goals that Eusebio scored in that time?"
He points to the vastly different conditions.
"With that ground, that grass, those boots, that ball."
Simoes admits he has serious doubts.
"I have a lot of doubts that Cristiano Ronaldo could score the same number of goals in those conditions."
For him, greatness must be judged in context.
And context, he believes, changes everything.