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Leonardo Araújo

Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo (born 5 September 1969), known as Leonardo Araújo or simply Leonardo, is a Brazilian football executive and former player and manager. He last served as the sporting director of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain until May 2022.

Leonardo
Leonardo in 2013
Personal information
Full name Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo
Date of birth (1969-09-05) 5 September 1969 (age 54)
Place of birth Niterói, Brazil
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, left winger, left-back
Youth career
1984–1987 Flamengo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1990 Flamengo 52 (0)
1990–1991 São Paulo 44 (1)
1991–1993 Valencia 70 (7)
1993–1994 São Paulo 12 (3)
1994–1996 Kashima Antlers 49 (30)
1996–1997 Paris Saint-Germain 34 (7)
1997–2001 AC Milan 96 (22)
2001 São Paulo 13 (0)
2002 Flamengo 0 (0)
2002–2003 AC Milan 1 (0)
Total 371 (70)
International career
1989 Brazil U20 6 (1)
1990–2001 Brazil 55 (7)
Managerial career
2009–2010 AC Milan
2010–2011 Inter Milan
2017 Antalyaspor
Medal record
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A versatile player, Leonardo was employed in several positions throughout his career, including as an attacking midfielder, left winger, and left-back; his best-known and most successful period was at AC Milan, in the role of attacking midfielder (or trequartista) behind the forwards.[1] He played for teams in Brazil, Spain, Japan, France and Italy, winning titles with Flamengo, São Paulo, Kashima Antlers and Milan.

A former Brazil international, Leonardo played in the 1994 World Cup winning side, as well as the team that finished runners-up in the 1998 edition of the tournament. He also represented his nation in two Copa América tournaments, reaching the final in 1995, and winning the title in 1997, also claiming the FIFA Confederations Cup in the same year.

Following his retirement, Leonardo also served as a coach for Italian side Milan, and successively as coach of crosstown rivals Inter Milan, where he won a Coppa Italia title in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, he was sporting director of his former club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He coached Antalyaspor in 2017 before returning to Milan as sporting director in 2018. In 2019, Leonardo returned to PSG as sporting director, until he was sacked in 2022.

Early and personal life

Leonardo was born and raised in Niterói, Brazil.[citation needed]

Divorced from his first wife with whom he had three children (one boy, two girls), he is married to Sky Italia presenter Anna Billó, with whom he has two sons.[2][3][4]

Club career

Leonardo began his career with the Brazilian club Flamengo in 1987; at just 17, he was given the opportunity to play with his hero Zico plus Leandro, Bebeto and Renato Gaúcho, and to take part in winning his first Brazilian championship.[citation needed] In 1990, Leonardo signed with São Paulo, and in 1991, Leonardo, Raí, and other young talents were assembled as part of the so-called 'esquadrão tricolor' ("three-coloured squad") under the command of Brazilian legend Telê Santana, giving Leonardo his second Brazilian championship.[citation needed]

Later that year, he made the switch to European football, signing with the Spanish club Valencia. After two seasons with Valencia, he returned to Brazil for a brief stint with São Paulo in 1993, during which time the team won several titles, including the prestigious Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup.[citation needed]

In 1994, after the World Cup, Leonardo signed with the Kashima Antlers of the newly formed Japanese J1 League. Leonardo continued his success in Kashima, again playing with his idol and friend Zico. In 1996, he returned to Europe, this time signing with French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where he again proved to be successful, one of his goals helping them to oust Liverpool out of the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[citation needed]

At this point in his career, Leonardo had mostly stopped playing as a left-back and moved into the midfield, sometimes on the left flank, as a winger and sometimes in the centre, as an advanced playmaker, or as a supporting striker, due to his technical skills, vision and tactical intelligence.[1] Already in Japan, this had resulted in some spectacular goals for Leonardo, a trend which continued in Europe.[citation needed]

In the summer of 1997, he signed with Italian team AC Milan for €8.5 million from PSG. With Milan, he became a prominent part of a star-studded lineup on the left wing. He played four full seasons with the club, winning the 1998–99 Serie A title, in which he played a key role with his prolific performances, scoring 12 goals. In total, he scored 22 goals in 177 games for Milan, before returning to Brazil with São Paulo and Flamengo. He later returned to Milan and finished his career with the team in 2003, winning the 2002–03 Coppa Italia title.[1][5]

International career

Leonardo was part of the Brazil under-20 team that placed third in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.[citation needed] He made his full international debut for Brazil in 1990. He was selected as a left-back for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, keeping the young Roberto Carlos out of the team, much to the latter's chagrin. Leonardo played well in the first group games but was then given a four-match suspension for elbowing the American midfielder Tab Ramos in the head in the round of 16, causing a skull fracture that hospitalized him for three and a half months.[6] Leonardo's suspension prevented him from participating in the remainder of the competition. At the time, it was the second longest ban imposed in World Cup history, after Italian defender Mauro Tassotti's eight-game suspension for breaking the nose of Spaniard Luis Enrique in the quarter-final at the same tournament. The record was broken when Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez was banned for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in his team's final group match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. [7][8] Brazil went on to win the title, defeating Italy on penalties in the final after a 0–0 draw.[9]

In 1995, he took part in the Copa América with Brazil, where the team reached the final, scoring one goal in 3–0 win over Colombia in the team's final group match;[10] Leonardo did not feature in the final, however, in which Brazil lost out to hosts Uruguay 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[11]

In 1997, Leonardo was given the number 10 shirt for the national team. He was an important member of the team that won the Copa América in 1997, starting in the 3–1 victory over hosts Bolivia in the final;[12] he also won the FIFA Confederations Cup later that year, but was an unused substitute in the 6–0 final victory over Australia.[13]

Leonardo played all seven games in his second World Cup in 1998, helping Brazil to a second-place finish, after a 3–0 loss to hosts France in the final.[14] In the second opening round match against Morocco, he netted one shot and began celebrating, but was later called off-side.[15]

He was last selected to play for Brazil in the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign and ended his international career in 2002 with 60 caps and 8 goals for Brazil.[citation needed]

Style of play

A versatile left-footed midfielder, Leonardo was capable of playing in several positions along the pitch; his favoured role was as a playmaker in midfield, either as a left winger, or in a more central role, as an attacking midfielder or as a supporting striker, due to his ability to create chances for teammates, although he was also capable of functioning as a central midfielder, in a deep-lying playmaking role, as a forward, and was even deployed as left-back or wing-back throughout his career, in particular in his youth. An elegant and creative player, Leonardo was mainly regarded for his outstanding technical skills, as well as his vision, and tactical intelligence as a footballer, which made him an excellent assist provider, although he was capable of scoring goals, as well as creating them, due to his accuracy from set-pieces and powerful striking ability from distance, and was known to be a specialist from dead ball situations. Despite his talent and reputation as one of the best Brazilian men's footballers of his generation, he was also often injury prone throughout his career.[1][5][16][17][18][19][20]

Outside football

Since 2002, Leonardo has dedicated himself to social works with the Fundação Gol de Letra, along with his friend, former player Raí.[citation needed]

Leonardo worked for BBC Television in the United Kingdom during the 2006 World Cup as one of their Match of the Day analysts, alongside another former World Cup winner, Marcel Desailly. He appeared again as a Match of the Day analyst on 1 June 2007 alongside Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer. This was the first England game at the new Wembley Stadium finishing 1–1 with Brazil.[citation needed]

Coaching career

 
Leonardo in 2008

In December 2007, Leonardo was interviewed for the vacant position of director of football at Premier League side West Ham United.[21]

AC Milan

In early 2008, Leonardo was appointed technical director of his former club AC Milan. Later that same year, he obtained Italian citizenship after 12 years in Italy as a resident.[22]

After Carlo Ancelotti left Milan to become the manager of Chelsea at the end of May 2009, Leonardo was named head coach of Milan[23][24] despite still lacking the required coaching badges (he was set to attend a UEFA A coaching course in June 2009).[25] He was, however, exempted from requiring a UEFA Pro license, which is mandatory for Serie A managers, due to being a former World Cup winner as a player.[26] Leonardo wasted no time in declaring that he wanted his team to play attractive attacking football, even invoking the name of his old mentor, Telê Santana.[27]

After a poor start of season, featuring a shock 0–4 loss to crosstown rivals Inter Milan, that started speculation about his possible dismissal from the head coaching post at Milan, results started improving for the rossoneri under Leonardo, also thanks to the application of a 4–2–1–3 tactic (nicknamed also "4–2–fantasy" by Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani). This tactic, quite unusual in Italian football and greatly focusing on creative players such as Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf, led Milan to improved results at both Serie A and UEFA Champions League level, including a remarkable 3–2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium against Real Madrid and a 3–0 away win to Juventus which enabled Leonardo's side to finish in second place at the half-way point of the season, six points shy of leaders Inter with a game in hand. However, the path to the Champions League final was halted prematurely as Milan were eliminated in the first knockout round by Manchester United in a 2–7 aggregate loss (2–3, 0–4).[citation needed]

In the final weeks of the season, it was speculated that Leonardo could leave Milan at the end of the season. In April 2010, Leonardo confirmed divergences with club owner and Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, defining their relationship as "difficult".[28] It was confirmed that Leonardo would leave Milan by mutual agreement after their season ending game against Juventus.[29] Leonardo waved an emotional goodbye to a packed San Siro, as he managed his side's last game with a 3–0 win against Juventus.[citation needed]

Inter Milan

 
Leonardo with Inter Milan in 2011

On 24 December 2010, after days of speculation, it was confirmed Leonardo would take over as head coach of fresh FIFA Club World Cup champions Inter Milan, replacing Rafael Benítez in a somewhat controversial move, due to the Brazilian's long career with rivals Milan as both player and manager; he agreed an 18-month contract due to expire on 30 June 2012.[30] Leonardo started extremely well, collecting 30 points from 12 games with an average of 2.5 points per game, better than his predecessors Benítez and José Mourinho. On 6 March 2011, Leonardo set a new Italian Serie A record by collecting 33 points in 13 games; the previous record was 32 points in 13 games, achieved by Fabio Capello in 2004–05.[citation needed]

On 15 March 2011, Leonardo led Inter to a memorable 3–2 Champions League away victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the round of 16 after losing the first leg at home.[citation needed] On 2 April 2011, Internazionale lost 3–0 against their fierce rivals Milan, and when Inter, two weeks later, lost 2–0 against relegation battlers Parma, the club's title ambitions had effectively ended. On 6 April, Inter lost 5–2 to Schalke 04 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. On 29 May 2011, Inter defeated Palermo 3–1 to give Leonardo his first and only trophy as a manager of Inter, the Coppa Italia. He resigned on 18 June.[citation needed]

Executive career

Paris Saint-Germain

 
Leonardo with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012

In June 2011, speculation arose about the future of Leonardo at Inter Milan after some media cited about talks between him and the new Qatari owners of Paris Saint-Germain, where Leonardo already spent one season as a player in the 1996–97 season. Following that, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti began searching a replacement for Leonardo, then hiring former Genoa boss Gian Piero Gasperini as new head coach and releasing Leonardo from his contract thereafter.[citation needed] In July 2011, Leonardo was then introduced as new director of football of PSG, being responsible for the club's major transfer market decisions. His first signings included several high-profile players from Serie A, such as Jérémy Ménez, Mohamed Sissoko, Salvatore Sirigu, Javier Pastore and Thiago Motta, and was the mastermind behind the appointment of his friend Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of PSG.[citation needed]

In May 2013, Leonardo was banned for nine months, after he was accused of pushing a referee at the end of a game against Valenciennes in which Thiago Silva was sent off.[31] The ban was extended to 13 months in July 2013. On 10 July, he tendered his resignation as sporting director and left the French champions at the end of August.[32] His ban was overturned in June 2014 by the Paris Administrative Tribunal, at which point he announced that he would sue the French Football Federation for "professional" and "moral" damages.[33][34]

AC Milan

In July 2018, following a change of ownership at Milan and the removal of Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli from their respective roles as managing director and director of football, the club's new owners Elliott Management Corporation announced the appointment of Leonardo as their new sporting director.[35] In his capacity, he also serves as director of football and supervised the captures of Gonzalo Higuaín and Mattia Caldara from Juventus as his first two signings.[36][37]

In December 2018, he obtained his sporting director diploma through the Coverciano Technical Centre.[38]

Return to Paris Saint-Germain

On 1 July 2019, it was announced that Leonardo would be the new sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain following his departure from Milan on mutual consent.[39]

In the 2019–20 season, Leonardo made several signings for PSG, including Abdou Diallo, Ander Herrera, Idrissa Gueye, Mauro Icardi, Pablo Sarabia, and Keylor Navas. The club went on to complete a domestic treble and finish runner-up in the UEFA Champions League, a first final for Paris.[40]

In May 2022, Leonardo was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his successful attempts at convincing Neymar to stay in Paris, Leonardo is generally viewed by observers as having had a net negative impact on PSG's development during his second spell as sporting director.[41]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Flamengo 1987 Série A 18 0 18 0
1988 18 0 3 0 22 0 43 0
1989 16 0 8 0 1 0 20 1 45 1
1990 4 3 21 0 25 3
Total 52 0 12 3 4 0 63 1 131 4
São Paulo 1990 Série A 22 0 22 0
1991 22 1 22 1
Total 44 1 44 1
Valencia 1991–92 La Liga 36 4 10 3 46 7
1992–93 34 3 4 0 2[a] 0 40 3
Total 70 7 14 3 2 0 86 10
São Paulo 1993 Série A 12 3 5 2 1 0 18 5
1994 1 1 23 9 24 10
Total 12 3 6 3 24 9 42 15
Kashima Antlers 1994 J1 League 9 7 1 0 10 7
1995 28 17 3 1 31 18
1996 12 6 10 5 22 11
Total 49 30 14 6 63 36
Paris Saint-Germain 1996–97 Division 1 32 7 2 0 7[b] 3 2[c] 0 43 10
1997–98 2 0 1[d] 0 3 0
Total 34 7 2 0 8 3 2 0 46 13
Milan 1997–98 Serie A 27 3 5 1 32 4
1998–99 27 12 2 0 29 12
1999–2000 20 4 1 1 5[d] 1 0 0 26 6
2000–01 22 3 5 2 5[d] 1 32 6
Total 96 22 13 4 10 2 0 0 119 28
São Paulo 2001 Série A 13 0 5 0 18 0
Flamengo 2002 Série A 1 0 6 1 7 1
Milan 2002–03 Serie A 1 0 4 2 5 2
Career total 371 70 59 18 31 8 100 11 561 107
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Super Cup
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[42]
National team Year Apps Goals
Brazil 1990 2 0
1991 3 0
1993 2 0
1994 9 0
1995 7 2
1996 3 0
1997 17 4
1998 8 0
1999 2 1
2001 2 0
Total 55 7

Managerial statistics

As of 30 May 2011
Team From To Competition Record
G W D L Win % GF GA GD
Milan 1 June 2009 16 May 2010 Serie A 38 20 10 8 052.63 60 39 +21
Coppa Italia 2 1 0 1 050.00 2 2 0
Europe 8 2 3 3 025.00 10 14 –4
Total 48 23 13 12 047.92 72 55 +17
Internazionale 29 December 2010 1 July 2011 Serie A 23 17 2 4 073.91 49 18 +31
Coppa Italia 5 3 2 0 060.00 8 4 +4
Europe 4 1 0 3 025.00 6 10 –4
Total 32 21 4 7 065.63 63 32 +31
Career totals League 61 37 12 12 060.66 109 57 +52
Cup 7 4 2 1 057.14 10 6 +4
Europe 12 3 3 6 025.00 16 24 –8
Total 80 44 17 19 055.00 135 87 +48

Honours

Player

Flamengo

São Paulo

Kashima Antlers

AC Milan

Brazil

Individual

Manager

Inter Milan

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Leonardo De Araujo". acmilan.com. A.C. Milan. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ^ . Yahoo! Sports. 15 March 2013. Archived from the original on 17 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Leonardo et Anna Billó : Mariage discret devant Ronaldo et Eros Ramazzotti". Purepeople. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Anna Billò: "A casa non si vive solo di calcio"". TV Sorrisi e Canzoni (in Italian). 23 August 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Nascimento de Araujo LEONARDO" (in Italian). MagliaRossonera.it. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Football / World Cup USA '94: Leonardo banned". The Independent. 6 July 1994. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  7. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (12 July 1994). "WORLD CUP USA '94: SEMIFINALS : Breaking Nose of Spain's Enrique Costs Italy's Tassotti Eight Games". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  8. ^ Masters, James (26 June 2014). "World Cup: Uruguay striker Luis Suarez banned for four months". CNN. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  9. ^ "1994 FIFA World Cup USA : Brazil – Italy". FIFA. 17 July 1994. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Copa América 1995". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Uruguay - Brazil 5:3 (Copa América 1995 Uruguay, Final)". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Copa América 1997". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  13. ^ "FIFA Confederations Cup Saudi Arabia 1997 - Matches - Brazil-Australia". web.archive.org. FIFA.com. Archived from on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  14. ^ Lacey, David (13 July 1998). "Zidane's double leads the rout as hosts put paid to below-par Brazil". The Guardian. p. 23. from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Muello, Peter (16 June 1998). "Ronaldo Paves Way for Brazilian Win". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  16. ^ Paolo Menicucci (6 July 2009). "Leonardo backs Milan talent". UEFA. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  17. ^ Germano Bovolenta; Luigi Garlando; Giampietro Agus (31 August 1997). "Leonardo si e' gia' preso il Milan". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  18. ^ Lodovico Maradei (14 March 1999). "Brilla soltanto Leonardo". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  19. ^ Alessandra Bocci (14 October 1998). "questo Milan punisce poco". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  20. ^ Andrea Masala (5 March 1998). "Leonardo, che fatica crescere". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  21. ^ Hammers target Leonardo 15 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine Mirror.co.uk, 5 December 2007
  22. ^ "Leonardo è cittadino italiano". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 17 December 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  23. ^ Ancelotti leaves job at AC Milan BBC Sport, 1 June 2009
  24. ^ ARRIVEDERCI CARLETTO! 11 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine A.C. Milan, 2 June 2009
  25. ^ "Ammessi Corso Seconda Cat. Uefa A 2008/2009" (in Italian). Settore Tecnico FIGC. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  26. ^ (in Italian). Yahoo! Eurosport. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  27. ^ Leonardo Wants Milan To Play Attacking Football 29 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine goal.com, 2 June 2009
  28. ^ "Coach Leonardo unsure over his future with A.C. Milan". BBC Sport. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  29. ^ Leonardo Confirms He Will Leave Milan – OFFICIAL goal.com, 14 May 2010
  30. ^ (in Italian). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  31. ^ Mason, Peter (30 May 2013). "Paris Saint-Germain's Leonardo gets nine-month ban for barging referee". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  32. ^ "PSG's Leonardo to quit at end of transfer window". Ahram Online. Reuters. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Brazilian Leonardo demands $9.1 mn from French Football Federation". Business Standard. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  34. ^ "Brazil's Leonardo demands $9.1 mn from French Federation". EFE. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  35. ^ "Leonardo Is Back Home". A.C. Milan. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  36. ^ "Higuain and Caldara in Focus". A.C. Milan. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  37. ^ "Leonardo: "Having a player like Higuain increases Milan's appeal, Caldara has the potential to be as good as Bonucci"". EatFootball. Retrieved 13 August 2018.[permanent dead link]
  38. ^ "Direttore Sportivo: tutti i nomi degli allievi diplomati al corso di Coverciano" (in Italian). FIGC. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  39. ^ "Leonardo fait son retour au PSG en tant que directeur sportif". Le Monde.fr (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Bayern Munich beat PSG 1-0 to win Champions League final". France 24. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Leonardo sacked by PSG | Get French Football News". www.getfootballnewsfrance.com. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  42. ^ Leonardo Araújo at National-Football-Teams.com
  43. ^ "Il Golden Foot 2018 è Edinson Cavani" (in Italian). radiomontecarlo.net. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  44. ^ "Debutants vie for Super Cup crown". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.

External links

  • Leonardo Araújo at National-Football-Teams.com  
  • Leonardo Araújo at J.League () (in Japanese)  

leonardo, araújo, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, article, . This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Leonardo Araujo news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message In this Portuguese name the first or maternal family name is Nascimento and the second or paternal family name is de Araujo Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo born 5 September 1969 known as Leonardo Araujo or simply Leonardo is a Brazilian football executive and former player and manager He last served as the sporting director of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint Germain until May 2022 LeonardoLeonardo in 2013Personal informationFull nameLeonardo Nascimento de AraujoDate of birth 1969 09 05 5 September 1969 age 54 Place of birthNiteroi BrazilHeight1 78 m 5 ft 10 in Position s Attacking midfielder left winger left backYouth career1984 1987FlamengoSenior career YearsTeamApps Gls 1987 1990Flamengo52 0 1990 1991Sao Paulo44 1 1991 1993Valencia70 7 1993 1994Sao Paulo12 3 1994 1996Kashima Antlers49 30 1996 1997Paris Saint Germain34 7 1997 2001AC Milan96 22 2001Sao Paulo13 0 2002Flamengo0 0 2002 2003AC Milan1 0 Total371 70 International career1989Brazil U206 1 1990 2001Brazil55 7 Managerial career2009 2010AC Milan2010 2011Inter Milan2017AntalyasporMedal record Men s Football Representing Brazil FIFA World Cup Winner 1994 USA Runner up 1998 France FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1997 Saudi Arabia Copa America Winner 1997 Bolivia Runner up 1995 Uruguay FIFA U 20 World Cup 1989 Saudi Arabia U 20 South American Championship Winner 1988 Argentina Club domestic league appearances and goals A versatile player Leonardo was employed in several positions throughout his career including as an attacking midfielder left winger and left back his best known and most successful period was at AC Milan in the role of attacking midfielder or trequartista behind the forwards 1 He played for teams in Brazil Spain Japan France and Italy winning titles with Flamengo Sao Paulo Kashima Antlers and Milan A former Brazil international Leonardo played in the 1994 World Cup winning side as well as the team that finished runners up in the 1998 edition of the tournament He also represented his nation in two Copa America tournaments reaching the final in 1995 and winning the title in 1997 also claiming the FIFA Confederations Cup in the same year Following his retirement Leonardo also served as a coach for Italian side Milan and successively as coach of crosstown rivals Inter Milan where he won a Coppa Italia title in 2011 From 2011 to 2013 he was sporting director of his former club Paris Saint Germain PSG He coached Antalyaspor in 2017 before returning to Milan as sporting director in 2018 In 2019 Leonardo returned to PSG as sporting director until he was sacked in 2022 Contents 1 Early and personal life 2 Club career 3 International career 4 Style of play 5 Outside football 6 Coaching career 6 1 AC Milan 6 2 Inter Milan 7 Executive career 7 1 Paris Saint Germain 7 2 AC Milan 7 3 Return to Paris Saint Germain 8 Career statistics 8 1 Club 8 2 International 9 Managerial statistics 10 Honours 10 1 Player 10 2 Manager 11 References 12 External linksEarly and personal lifeLeonardo was born and raised in Niteroi Brazil citation needed Divorced from his first wife with whom he had three children one boy two girls he is married to Sky Italia presenter Anna Billo with whom he has two sons 2 3 4 Club careerLeonardo began his career with the Brazilian club Flamengo in 1987 at just 17 he was given the opportunity to play with his hero Zico plus Leandro Bebeto and Renato Gaucho and to take part in winning his first Brazilian championship citation needed In 1990 Leonardo signed with Sao Paulo and in 1991 Leonardo Rai and other young talents were assembled as part of the so called esquadrao tricolor three coloured squad under the command of Brazilian legend Tele Santana giving Leonardo his second Brazilian championship citation needed Later that year he made the switch to European football signing with the Spanish club Valencia After two seasons with Valencia he returned to Brazil for a brief stint with Sao Paulo in 1993 during which time the team won several titles including the prestigious Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup citation needed In 1994 after the World Cup Leonardo signed with the Kashima Antlers of the newly formed Japanese J1 League Leonardo continued his success in Kashima again playing with his idol and friend Zico In 1996 he returned to Europe this time signing with French club Paris Saint Germain PSG where he again proved to be successful one of his goals helping them to oust Liverpool out of the semi finals of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup citation needed At this point in his career Leonardo had mostly stopped playing as a left back and moved into the midfield sometimes on the left flank as a winger and sometimes in the centre as an advanced playmaker or as a supporting striker due to his technical skills vision and tactical intelligence 1 Already in Japan this had resulted in some spectacular goals for Leonardo a trend which continued in Europe citation needed In the summer of 1997 he signed with Italian team AC Milan for 8 5 million from PSG With Milan he became a prominent part of a star studded lineup on the left wing He played four full seasons with the club winning the 1998 99 Serie A title in which he played a key role with his prolific performances scoring 12 goals In total he scored 22 goals in 177 games for Milan before returning to Brazil with Sao Paulo and Flamengo He later returned to Milan and finished his career with the team in 2003 winning the 2002 03 Coppa Italia title 1 5 International careerLeonardo was part of the Brazil under 20 team that placed third in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship citation needed He made his full international debut for Brazil in 1990 He was selected as a left back for the 1994 FIFA World Cup keeping the young Roberto Carlos out of the team much to the latter s chagrin Leonardo played well in the first group games but was then given a four match suspension for elbowing the American midfielder Tab Ramos in the head in the round of 16 causing a skull fracture that hospitalized him for three and a half months 6 Leonardo s suspension prevented him from participating in the remainder of the competition At the time it was the second longest ban imposed in World Cup history after Italian defender Mauro Tassotti s eight game suspension for breaking the nose of Spaniard Luis Enrique in the quarter final at the same tournament The record was broken when Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez was banned for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in his team s final group match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup 7 8 Brazil went on to win the title defeating Italy on penalties in the final after a 0 0 draw 9 In 1995 he took part in the Copa America with Brazil where the team reached the final scoring one goal in 3 0 win over Colombia in the team s final group match 10 Leonardo did not feature in the final however in which Brazil lost out to hosts Uruguay 5 3 on penalties after a 1 1 draw 11 In 1997 Leonardo was given the number 10 shirt for the national team He was an important member of the team that won the Copa America in 1997 starting in the 3 1 victory over hosts Bolivia in the final 12 he also won the FIFA Confederations Cup later that year but was an unused substitute in the 6 0 final victory over Australia 13 Leonardo played all seven games in his second World Cup in 1998 helping Brazil to a second place finish after a 3 0 loss to hosts France in the final 14 In the second opening round match against Morocco he netted one shot and began celebrating but was later called off side 15 He was last selected to play for Brazil in the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign and ended his international career in 2002 with 60 caps and 8 goals for Brazil citation needed Style of playA versatile left footed midfielder Leonardo was capable of playing in several positions along the pitch his favoured role was as a playmaker in midfield either as a left winger or in a more central role as an attacking midfielder or as a supporting striker due to his ability to create chances for teammates although he was also capable of functioning as a central midfielder in a deep lying playmaking role as a forward and was even deployed as left back or wing back throughout his career in particular in his youth An elegant and creative player Leonardo was mainly regarded for his outstanding technical skills as well as his vision and tactical intelligence as a footballer which made him an excellent assist provider although he was capable of scoring goals as well as creating them due to his accuracy from set pieces and powerful striking ability from distance and was known to be a specialist from dead ball situations Despite his talent and reputation as one of the best Brazilian men s footballers of his generation he was also often injury prone throughout his career 1 5 16 17 18 19 20 Outside footballSince 2002 Leonardo has dedicated himself to social works with the Fundacao Gol de Letra along with his friend former player Rai citation needed Leonardo worked for BBC Television in the United Kingdom during the 2006 World Cup as one of their Match of the Day analysts alongside another former World Cup winner Marcel Desailly He appeared again as a Match of the Day analyst on 1 June 2007 alongside Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer This was the first England game at the new Wembley Stadium finishing 1 1 with Brazil citation needed Coaching career nbsp Leonardo in 2008 In December 2007 Leonardo was interviewed for the vacant position of director of football at Premier League side West Ham United 21 AC Milan In early 2008 Leonardo was appointed technical director of his former club AC Milan Later that same year he obtained Italian citizenship after 12 years in Italy as a resident 22 After Carlo Ancelotti left Milan to become the manager of Chelsea at the end of May 2009 Leonardo was named head coach of Milan 23 24 despite still lacking the required coaching badges he was set to attend a UEFA A coaching course in June 2009 25 He was however exempted from requiring a UEFA Pro license which is mandatory for Serie A managers due to being a former World Cup winner as a player 26 Leonardo wasted no time in declaring that he wanted his team to play attractive attacking football even invoking the name of his old mentor Tele Santana 27 After a poor start of season featuring a shock 0 4 loss to crosstown rivals Inter Milan that started speculation about his possible dismissal from the head coaching post at Milan results started improving for the rossoneri under Leonardo also thanks to the application of a 4 2 1 3 tactic nicknamed also 4 2 fantasy by Milan vice president Adriano Galliani This tactic quite unusual in Italian football and greatly focusing on creative players such as Ronaldinho Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf led Milan to improved results at both Serie A and UEFA Champions League level including a remarkable 3 2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium against Real Madrid and a 3 0 away win to Juventus which enabled Leonardo s side to finish in second place at the half way point of the season six points shy of leaders Inter with a game in hand However the path to the Champions League final was halted prematurely as Milan were eliminated in the first knockout round by Manchester United in a 2 7 aggregate loss 2 3 0 4 citation needed In the final weeks of the season it was speculated that Leonardo could leave Milan at the end of the season In April 2010 Leonardo confirmed divergences with club owner and Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi defining their relationship as difficult 28 It was confirmed that Leonardo would leave Milan by mutual agreement after their season ending game against Juventus 29 Leonardo waved an emotional goodbye to a packed San Siro as he managed his side s last game with a 3 0 win against Juventus citation needed Inter Milan nbsp Leonardo with Inter Milan in 2011 On 24 December 2010 after days of speculation it was confirmed Leonardo would take over as head coach of fresh FIFA Club World Cup champions Inter Milan replacing Rafael Benitez in a somewhat controversial move due to the Brazilian s long career with rivals Milan as both player and manager he agreed an 18 month contract due to expire on 30 June 2012 30 Leonardo started extremely well collecting 30 points from 12 games with an average of 2 5 points per game better than his predecessors Benitez and Jose Mourinho On 6 March 2011 Leonardo set a new Italian Serie A record by collecting 33 points in 13 games the previous record was 32 points in 13 games achieved by Fabio Capello in 2004 05 citation needed On 15 March 2011 Leonardo led Inter to a memorable 3 2 Champions League away victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the round of 16 after losing the first leg at home citation needed On 2 April 2011 Internazionale lost 3 0 against their fierce rivals Milan and when Inter two weeks later lost 2 0 against relegation battlers Parma the club s title ambitions had effectively ended On 6 April Inter lost 5 2 to Schalke 04 in the quarter finals of the Champions League On 29 May 2011 Inter defeated Palermo 3 1 to give Leonardo his first and only trophy as a manager of Inter the Coppa Italia He resigned on 18 June citation needed Executive careerParis Saint Germain nbsp Leonardo with Paris Saint Germain in 2012 In June 2011 speculation arose about the future of Leonardo at Inter Milan after some media cited about talks between him and the new Qatari owners of Paris Saint Germain where Leonardo already spent one season as a player in the 1996 97 season Following that Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti began searching a replacement for Leonardo then hiring former Genoa boss Gian Piero Gasperini as new head coach and releasing Leonardo from his contract thereafter citation needed In July 2011 Leonardo was then introduced as new director of football of PSG being responsible for the club s major transfer market decisions His first signings included several high profile players from Serie A such as Jeremy Menez Mohamed Sissoko Salvatore Sirigu Javier Pastore and Thiago Motta and was the mastermind behind the appointment of his friend Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of PSG citation needed In May 2013 Leonardo was banned for nine months after he was accused of pushing a referee at the end of a game against Valenciennes in which Thiago Silva was sent off 31 The ban was extended to 13 months in July 2013 On 10 July he tendered his resignation as sporting director and left the French champions at the end of August 32 His ban was overturned in June 2014 by the Paris Administrative Tribunal at which point he announced that he would sue the French Football Federation for professional and moral damages 33 34 AC Milan In July 2018 following a change of ownership at Milan and the removal of Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli from their respective roles as managing director and director of football the club s new owners Elliott Management Corporation announced the appointment of Leonardo as their new sporting director 35 In his capacity he also serves as director of football and supervised the captures of Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara from Juventus as his first two signings 36 37 In December 2018 he obtained his sporting director diploma through the Coverciano Technical Centre 38 Return to Paris Saint Germain On 1 July 2019 it was announced that Leonardo would be the new sporting director of Paris Saint Germain following his departure from Milan on mutual consent 39 In the 2019 20 season Leonardo made several signings for PSG including Abdou Diallo Ander Herrera Idrissa Gueye Mauro Icardi Pablo Sarabia and Keylor Navas The club went on to complete a domestic treble and finish runner up in the UEFA Champions League a first final for Paris 40 In May 2022 Leonardo was sacked by Paris Saint Germain Despite his successful attempts at convincing Neymar to stay in Paris Leonardo is generally viewed by observers as having had a net negative impact on PSG s development during his second spell as sporting director 41 Career statisticsClub Appearances and goals by club season and competition Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Flamengo 1987 Serie A 18 0 18 0 1988 18 0 3 0 22 0 43 0 1989 16 0 8 0 1 0 20 1 45 1 1990 4 3 21 0 25 3 Total 52 0 12 3 4 0 63 1 131 4 Sao Paulo 1990 Serie A 22 0 22 0 1991 22 1 22 1 Total 44 1 44 1 Valencia 1991 92 La Liga 36 4 10 3 46 7 1992 93 34 3 4 0 2 a 0 40 3 Total 70 7 14 3 2 0 86 10 Sao Paulo 1993 Serie A 12 3 5 2 1 0 18 5 1994 1 1 23 9 24 10 Total 12 3 6 3 24 9 42 15 Kashima Antlers 1994 J1 League 9 7 1 0 10 7 1995 28 17 3 1 31 18 1996 12 6 10 5 22 11 Total 49 30 14 6 63 36 Paris Saint Germain 1996 97 Division 1 32 7 2 0 7 b 3 2 c 0 43 10 1997 98 2 0 1 d 0 3 0 Total 34 7 2 0 8 3 2 0 46 13 Milan 1997 98 Serie A 27 3 5 1 32 4 1998 99 27 12 2 0 29 12 1999 2000 20 4 1 1 5 d 1 0 0 26 6 2000 01 22 3 5 2 5 d 1 32 6 Total 96 22 13 4 10 2 0 0 119 28 Sao Paulo 2001 Serie A 13 0 5 0 18 0 Flamengo 2002 Serie A 1 0 6 1 7 1 Milan 2002 03 Serie A 1 0 4 2 5 2 Career total 371 70 59 18 31 8 100 11 561 107 Appearances in UEFA Cup Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners Cup Appearances in UEFA Super Cup a b c Appearance s in UEFA Champions League International Appearances and goals by national team and year 42 National team Year Apps Goals Brazil 1990 2 0 1991 3 0 1993 2 0 1994 9 0 1995 7 2 1996 3 0 1997 17 4 1998 8 0 1999 2 1 2001 2 0 Total 55 7Managerial statisticsAs of 30 May 2011 Team From To Competition Record G W D L Win GF GA GD Milan 1 June 2009 16 May 2010 Serie A 38 20 10 8 0 52 63 60 39 21 Coppa Italia 2 1 0 1 0 50 00 2 2 0 Europe 8 2 3 3 0 25 00 10 14 4 Total 48 23 13 12 0 47 92 72 55 17 Internazionale 29 December 2010 1 July 2011 Serie A 23 17 2 4 0 73 91 49 18 31 Coppa Italia 5 3 2 0 0 60 00 8 4 4 Europe 4 1 0 3 0 25 00 6 10 4 Total 32 21 4 7 0 65 63 63 32 31 Career totals League 61 37 12 12 0 60 66 109 57 52 Cup 7 4 2 1 0 57 14 10 6 4 Europe 12 3 3 6 0 25 00 16 24 8 Total 80 44 17 19 0 55 00 135 87 48HonoursPlayer Flamengo Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A 1987 citation needed Copa do Brasil 1990 citation needed Sao Paulo Intercontinental Cup 1993 citation needed Recopa Sudamericana 1993 1994 citation needed Supercopa Sudamericana 1993 citation needed Kashima Antlers J1 League 1996 citation needed AC Milan Serie A 1998 99 citation needed Coppa Italia 2002 03 citation needed Brazil FIFA World Cup 1994 citation needed FIFA Confederations Cup 1997 citation needed Copa America 1997 citation needed Individual Bola de Prata 1991 A C Milan Hall of Fame 1 Golden Foot Award Legends 2018 43 Manager Inter Milan Coppa Italia 2010 11 44 References a b c d e A C Milan Hall of Fame Leonardo De Araujo acmilan com A C Milan Retrieved 1 April 2015 Leonardo proposes to presenter girlfriend live on Italian television Yahoo Sports 15 March 2013 Archived from the original on 17 March 2013 Retrieved 15 March 2013 Leonardo et Anna Billo Mariage discret devant Ronaldo et Eros Ramazzotti Purepeople 10 September 2013 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Anna Billo A casa non si vive solo di calcio TV Sorrisi e Canzoni in Italian 23 August 2021 Retrieved 15 December 2021 a b Nascimento de Araujo LEONARDO in Italian MagliaRossonera it Retrieved 14 July 2016 Football World Cup USA 94 Leonardo banned The Independent 6 July 1994 Retrieved 16 November 2023 Archives L A Times 12 July 1994 WORLD CUP USA 94 SEMIFINALS Breaking Nose of Spain s Enrique Costs Italy s Tassotti Eight Games Los Angeles Times Retrieved 16 November 2023 Masters James 26 June 2014 World Cup Uruguay striker Luis Suarez banned for four months CNN Retrieved 16 November 2023 1994 FIFA World Cup USA Brazil Italy FIFA 17 July 1994 Retrieved 25 April 2022 Copa America 1995 www rsssf org Retrieved 16 November 2023 Uruguay Brazil 5 3 Copa America 1995 Uruguay Final worldfootball net Retrieved 16 November 2023 Copa America 1997 www rsssf org Retrieved 16 November 2023 FIFA Confederations Cup Saudi Arabia 1997 Matches Brazil Australia web archive org FIFA com Archived from the original on 8 April 2016 Retrieved 16 November 2023 Lacey David 13 July 1998 Zidane s double leads the rout as hosts put paid to below par Brazil The Guardian p 23 Archived from the original on 31 October 2021 Retrieved 31 October 2021 via Newspapers com Muello Peter 16 June 1998 Ronaldo Paves Way for Brazilian Win www washingtonpost com Retrieved 16 November 2023 Paolo Menicucci 6 July 2009 Leonardo backs Milan talent UEFA Retrieved 14 July 2016 Germano Bovolenta Luigi Garlando Giampietro Agus 31 August 1997 Leonardo si e gia preso il Milan La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian Retrieved 18 March 2017 Lodovico Maradei 14 March 1999 Brilla soltanto Leonardo La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian Retrieved 18 March 2017 Alessandra Bocci 14 October 1998 questo Milan punisce poco La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian Retrieved 18 March 2017 Andrea Masala 5 March 1998 Leonardo che fatica crescere La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian Retrieved 18 March 2017 Hammers target Leonardo Archived 15 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine Mirror co uk 5 December 2007 Leonardo e cittadino italiano La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian 17 December 2008 Retrieved 31 May 2009 Ancelotti leaves job at AC Milan BBC Sport 1 June 2009 ARRIVEDERCI CARLETTO Archived 11 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine A C Milan 2 June 2009 Ammessi Corso Seconda Cat Uefa A 2008 2009 in Italian Settore Tecnico FIGC 9 April 2009 Retrieved 21 May 2009 Serie A Nuova era Milan benvenuto Leonardo in Italian Yahoo Eurosport 1 June 2009 Archived from the original on 11 June 2009 Retrieved 4 June 2009 Leonardo Wants Milan To Play Attacking Football Archived 29 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine goal com 2 June 2009 Coach Leonardo unsure over his future with A C Milan BBC Sport 30 April 2010 Retrieved 1 May 2010 Leonardo Confirms He Will Leave Milan OFFICIAL goal com 14 May 2010 Benvenuto Leonardo allenatore dell Inter in Italian F C Internazionale Milano 24 December 2010 Archived from the original on 27 December 2010 Retrieved 24 December 2010 Mason Peter 30 May 2013 Paris Saint Germain s Leonardo gets nine month ban for barging referee The Guardian Retrieved 13 August 2018 PSG s Leonardo to quit at end of transfer window Ahram Online Reuters 10 July 2013 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Brazilian Leonardo demands 9 1 mn from French Football Federation Business Standard 13 November 2015 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Brazil s Leonardo demands 9 1 mn from French Federation EFE 12 November 2015 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Leonardo Is Back Home A C Milan 25 July 2018 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Higuain and Caldara in Focus A C Milan 2 August 2018 Retrieved 13 August 2018 Leonardo Having a player like Higuain increases Milan s appeal Caldara has the potential to be as good as Bonucci EatFootball Retrieved 13 August 2018 permanent dead link Direttore Sportivo tutti i nomi degli allievi diplomati al corso di Coverciano in Italian FIGC 6 December 2018 Retrieved 1 February 2019 Leonardo fait son retour au PSG en tant que directeur sportif Le Monde fr in French 14 June 2019 Retrieved 23 May 2022 Bayern Munich beat PSG 1 0 to win Champions League final France 24 23 August 2020 Retrieved 27 June 2021 Leonardo sacked by PSG Get French Football News www getfootballnewsfrance com 22 May 2022 Retrieved 23 May 2022 Leonardo Araujo at National Football Teams com Il Golden Foot 2018 e Edinson Cavani in Italian radiomontecarlo net Retrieved 6 December 2018 Debutants vie for Super Cup crown UEFA com Union of European Football Associations 25 June 2010 Retrieved 7 July 2010 External linksLeonardo Araujo at National Football Teams com nbsp Leonardo Araujo at J League archive in Japanese nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leonardo Araujo amp oldid 1223506497, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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