Leonardo has been appointed the new manager of European champions Inter Milan, following the departure of Rafael Benitez.
The 41-year-old former Brazil midfielder will begin his new role on December 29 and has a deal until 2012. His new job comes just a few months after he left his previous position, in the hotseat of Inter’s fierce rivals AC Milan.
Ex-Liverpool boss Benitez was sacked earlier this week, just days after the Nerazzurri won the Fifa Club World Cup. However, after Jose Mourinho led them to a Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League treble last season, they now sit in seventh place in the league, 13 points behind leaders AC.
Added to that, the Spaniard had a very strained relationship with club president Massimo Moratti and only last weekend demanded the resources to strengthen the team from him.
Instead, Moratti got rid and – as expected – Leonardo, a long-time player with AC, has taken over, despite his previous job being his only one in senior management.
"We believe Leonardo has the class and experience of a champion and his mentality will get the team together to get results," Inter's website read.
The Brazilian’s first game in charge will be against Napoli on January 6, while - barring a not impossible meeting in Europe - he will have to wait until April 3 to face his former employers at the San Siro.