Brazilian manager Leonardo has parted company with Inter Milan to take up the position as head coach for French side Paris Saint-Germain. It will be Leonardo’s second stint at the club, as he played for the side for a season in 96/7.
Inter’s chief executive Ernesto Paolillo briefed the press yesterday stating: “Leonardo is going to Paris and the club is looking for a new coach. We wanted to keep him but he has decided to leave us.” Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport had reported last week that the Brazilian held talks in Qatar with executives from Qatar Sports Investments, which owns a 70% share of PSG.
Leonardo had taken over at Inter from Rafael Benitez, after the Spaniard was sacked in December, having made a disappointing start at the club, which had won a historic treble the season before. The appointment was met with a certain amount of disappointment as Leonardo had spent the 09/10 season in charge of Inter’s great rival A.C. Milan, yet despite this and a disappointing finish to the season, which saw A.C crowned Serie A champions, Leonardo was seen to be a popular man at the club and won the Coppa Italia.
In joining PSG Leonardo finds himself at a club that has embraced Brazilian football in recent years. The playmaker Rai, younger brother of the Brazilian legend Socrates, joined PSG in 1993 from S
