Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo (born 5 September 1969), known asLeonardo Araújo or simplyLeonardo, is a Brazilianfootball executive and former player and manager. He last served as thesporting director ofLigue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain from 2019 to 2022.
A versatile player, Leonardo was employed in several positions throughout his career, including as anattacking midfielder,left winger, andleft-back; his best-known and most successful period was atAC Milan, in the role of attacking midfielder (ortrequartista) behind the forwards.[1] He played for teams in Brazil, Spain, Japan, France and Italy, winning titles withFlamengo,São Paulo,Kashima Antlers and Milan.
A formerBrazil international, Leonardo played in the1994 World Cup winning side, as well as the team that finished runners-up in the1998 edition of the tournament. He also represented his nation in twoCopa América tournaments, reaching the final in1995, and winning the title in1997, also claiming theFIFA 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 rivalsInter Milan, where he won aCoppa Italia title in2011. From 2011 to 2013, he was sporting director of his former clubParis Saint-Germain (PSG). He coachedAntalyaspor 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.
Divorced from his first wife with whom he had three children (one boy, two girls), he is married toSky Italia presenter Anna Billó, with whom he has two sons.[2][3][4]
Club career
Leonardo began his career with the Brazilian clubFlamengo in 1987; at just 17, he was given the opportunity to play with his heroZico plusLeandro,Bebeto andRenato Gaúcho, and to take part in winning his first Brazilian championship.[citation needed] In 1990, Leonardo signed withSão 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 legendTelê Santana, giving Leonardo his second Brazilian championship.[citation needed]
Later that year, he made the switch to European football, signing with the Spanish clubValencia. 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 prestigiousCopa Libertadores andIntercontinental Cup.[citation needed]
In 1994, after theWorld Cup, Leonardo signed with theKashima Antlers of the newly formed JapaneseJ1 League. Leonardo continued his success in Kashima, again playing with his idol and friend Zico. In 1996, he returned to Europe, this time signing withFrench clubParis Saint-Germain (PSG), where he again proved to be successful, one of his goals helping them to oustLiverpool out of the semi-finals of theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[citation needed]
At this point in his career, Leonardo had mostly stopped playing as a left-back and moved into themidfield, sometimes on the left flank, as a winger and sometimes in the centre, as an advancedplaymaker, 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 withItalian teamAC 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 the1998–99 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 andFlamengo. He later returned to Milan and finished his career with the team in2003, winning the2002–03 Coppa Italia title.[1][5]
International career
Leonardo was part of theBrazil under-20 team that placed third in the1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.[citation needed] He made his full international debut forBrazil in 1990. He was selected as aleft-back for the1994 FIFA World Cup, keeping the youngRoberto 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 theAmerican midfielderTab 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, afterItalian defenderMauro Tassotti's eight-game suspension for breaking the nose ofSpaniardLuis Enrique in the quarter-final at the same tournament. The record was broken whenUruguayan strikerLuis Suárez was banned for biting Italian defenderGiorgio Chiellini in his team's final group match of the2014 FIFA World Cup.[7][8] Brazil went on to win the title, defeating Italy on penalties in thefinal after a 0–0 draw.[9]
In 1995, he took part in theCopa América with Brazil, where the team reached thefinal, scoring one goal in 3–0 win overColombia 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]
Leonardo played all seven games in his secondWorld Cup in 1998, helping Brazil to a second-place finish, after a 3–0 loss to hostsFrance in thefinal.[14] In the second opening round match againstMorocco, he netted one shot and began celebrating, but was later called off-side.[15]
He was last selected to play for Brazil in the2002 World Cup qualifying campaign and ended his international career in 2002 with 60caps and 8 goals for Brazil.[citation needed]
Style of play
A versatile left-footedmidfielder, Leonardo was capable of playing in several positions along the pitch; his favoured role was as aplaymaker in midfield, either as aleft winger, or in a more central role, as anattacking midfielder or as asupporting striker, due to his ability to create chances for teammates, although he was also capable of functioning as acentral midfielder, in adeep-lying playmaking role, as aforward, and was even deployed asleft-back orwing-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 excellentassist provider, although he was capable of scoring goals, as well as creating them, due to his accuracy fromset-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 theFundação Gol de Letra, along with his friend, former player Raí.[citation needed]
In December 2007, Leonardo was interviewed for the vacant position of director of football atPremier League sideWest 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]
AfterCarlo Ancelotti left Milan to become the manager ofChelsea 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 aUEFA Pro license, which is mandatory forSerie 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 rivalsInter Milan, that started speculation about his possible dismissal from the head coaching post at Milan, results started improving for therossoneri under Leonardo, also thanks to the application of a 4–2–1–3 tactic (nicknamed also "4–2–fantasy" by Milan vice-presidentAdriano Galliani). This tactic, quite unusual in Italian football and greatly focusing on creative players such asRonaldinho,Andrea Pirlo andClarence Seedorf, led Milan to improved results at both Serie A andUEFA Champions League level, including a remarkable 3–2 win at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium againstReal Madrid and a 3–0 away win toJuventus 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 theChampions League final was halted prematurely as Milan were eliminated in the first knockout round byManchester 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 andPrime Minister of ItalySilvio 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 packedSan 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 freshFIFA Club World Cup champions Inter Milan, replacingRafael 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 andJosé 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 byFabio Capello in2004–05.[citation needed]
On 15 March 2011, Leonardo led Inter to a memorable 3–2 Champions League away victory overBayern Munich at theAllianz 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 battlersParma, the club's title ambitions had effectively ended. On 6 April, Inter lost 5–2 toSchalke 04 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. On 29 May 2011, Inter defeatedPalermo 3–1 to give Leonardo his first and only trophy as a manager of Inter, theCoppa 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 inthe 1996–97 season. Following that, Inter Milan presidentMassimo Moratti began searching a replacement for Leonardo, then hiring formerGenoa bossGian Piero Gasperini as new head coach and releasing Leonardo from his contract thereafter.[citation needed] In July 2011, Leonardo was then introduced as newdirector 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 asJérémy Ménez,Mohamed Sissoko,Salvatore Sirigu,Javier Pastore andThiago 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 againstValenciennes in whichThiago 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 theFrench Football Federation for "professional" and "moral" damages.[33][34]
AC Milan
In July 2018, following a change of ownership at Milan and the removal ofMarco Fassone andMassimiliano 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 that capacity, he also served as director of football and supervised the captures ofGonzalo Higuaín andMattia Caldara from Juventus as his first two signings.[36][37]
In December 2018, he obtained his sporting director diploma through theCoverciano 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 May 2022, Leonardo was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his successful attempts at convincingNeymar 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
^Germano Bovolenta; Luigi Garlando; Giampietro Agus (31 August 1997)."Leonardo si e' gia' preso il Milan".La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved18 March 2017.
^Lodovico Maradei (14 March 1999)."Brilla soltanto Leonardo".La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved18 March 2017.
^Alessandra Bocci (14 October 1998)."questo Milan punisce poco".La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved18 March 2017.
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