ROME: Leonardo Friday crossed the great San Siro divide, the former AC Milan coach being named as the successor to Rafael Benitez as boss of Inter Milan. The appointment makes him the fifth man to have coached both Milan giants. Long on personality, short on managerial experience, Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo was appointed AC Milan manager in May 2009, as successor to Chelsea-bound Carlo Ancelotti still lacking the required managerial badges. He imposed a characteristic attacking system of play but was barely settling into the job when he and the club parted company at the end of the 2009-2010 season, his last game in charge a 3-0 win over Juventus. Leonardo, who was part of the Milan management before assuming the role of head coach, was in his first job as a coach at a club he served with distinction as a player. The inexperienced 41-year-old, who assumed Italian citizenship in 2008, quit Milan with a memorable parting shot at club owner and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. “Narcissus doesn't like anything that isn't a reflection of himself,” Leonardo told sport daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. Leonardo, who played in midfield or at left-back, began his career at Rio de Janeiro side Flamengo before moving to Sao Paulo. He had spells with Valencia in Spain, Kashima Antlers in Japan and Paris St Germain in France before joining Milan in 1997. Throughout his glittering career he won league titles in three countries – Brazil (1987 and 1991), Japan (1996) and Italy (1999). He was also part of the Brazil squad that lifted the 1994 World Cup. He left Milan in 2001 and returned to Sao Paolo (his third stint with the club) and also went back to Flamengo briefly before returning to Milan in 2002. After hanging up his boots he became a scout and agent for Milan in Brazil while he also worked for BBC TV in Britain as an expert analyst during the 2006 World Cup. He became a technical director at Milan in 2008 before taking over the coaching reins in May 2009. Other than his native Portuguese he speaks Japanese, French, English and Italian. Inter is now gambling on him bringing the immense success he had as a player to their dug out. Keane wants to play Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is searching for a new club in the January transfer window after being squeezed out of the team. With Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Rafael van der Vaart the preferred forward options, Keane has started only two English Premier League matches this season. His only goal came in a League Cup loss to Arsenal. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp says “Robbie would like to move and he wants to play.” – Agence France
