Leonardo Araújo facts for kids
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Leonardo in 2013
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| Full name | Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 September 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo, born on September 5, 1969, is a famous Brazilian football expert. People often call him Leonardo Araújo or just Leonardo. He used to be a professional football player and a manager. His last job was as the sporting director for the French club Paris Saint-Germain until May 2022.
Leonardo was a very flexible player. He could play in many different positions on the field. These included attacking midfielder, left winger, and left-back. He was most successful when he played as an attacking midfielder for AC Milan. He played for teams in Brazil, Spain, Japan, France, and Italy. He won many titles with clubs like Flamengo, São Paulo, Kashima Antlers, and Milan.
He also played for the Brazilian national team. Leonardo was part of the team that won the World Cup in 1994. He also played in the 1998 World Cup, where Brazil finished second. He played in two Copa América tournaments. Brazil reached the final in 1995 and won the title in 1997. He also helped Brazil win the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997.
After he stopped playing, Leonardo became a coach. He coached AC Milan and then their rivals, Inter Milan. With Inter Milan, he won the Coppa Italia in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, he was the sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He coached Antalyaspor in 2017. Then, he returned to AC Milan as a sporting director in 2018. In 2019, Leonardo went back to PSG as sporting director until he left in 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Leonardo was born and grew up in Niterói, Brazil.
He has five children. Three are from his first marriage, and two sons are with his current wife, Anna Billó. Anna Billó is a TV presenter for Sky Italia.
Playing Career Highlights
Leonardo started his football journey with the Brazilian club Flamengo in 1987. He was only 17 years old. He got to play with his hero, Zico, and other great players. He helped Flamengo win his first Brazilian championship. In 1990, Leonardo joined São Paulo. In 1991, he and other young talents formed a strong team. They won another Brazilian championship.
Later in 1991, he moved to Europe to play for the Spanish club Valencia. After two seasons, he returned to Brazil for a short time with São Paulo in 1993. During this period, the team won important titles. These included the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.
In 1994, after the World Cup, Leonardo joined Kashima Antlers in Japan. He continued to be successful there, playing again with his friend Zico. In 1996, he moved back to Europe. This time, he signed with the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He helped PSG reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
By this time, Leonardo had changed his playing style. He moved from being a left-back to playing in the midfield. He often played as a winger on the left side or as an advanced playmaker in the center. This was because of his great skills and smart play. He scored some amazing goals in Japan and Europe.
In 1997, he joined the Italian team AC Milan. He became a key player on the left side of the field. He played four full seasons with Milan and helped them win the 1998–99 Serie A title. He scored 12 goals that season. In total, he scored 22 goals in 177 games for Milan. He then returned to Brazil to play for São Paulo and Flamengo. He came back to Milan and ended his playing career there in 2003. He won the 2002–03 Coppa Italia title in his final season.
International Career with Brazil
Leonardo played for the Brazil under-20 team in 1989. They finished third in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship. He made his first appearance for the senior Brazil team in 1990. He was chosen as a left-back for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He played well in the first games. However, he received a four-match ban for elbowing an opponent during a game against the United States. This ban meant he could not play in the rest of the tournament. Brazil went on to win the World Cup that year.
In 1995, he played in the 1995 Copa América with Brazil. The team reached the final but lost to Uruguay. In 1997, Leonardo wore the number 10 shirt for the national team. He was a very important player when Brazil won the Copa América in 1997. He also won the FIFA Confederations Cup later that year.
Leonardo played in all seven games of his second World Cup in 1998. Brazil finished second after losing to France in the final. He played his last game for Brazil in 2001. He ended his international career with 56 games played and 7 goals scored for Brazil.
How Leonardo Played
Leonardo was a very skilled left-footed midfielder. He could play in many different positions. His favorite role was as a playmaker in the midfield. He could be a left winger or an attacking midfielder in the center. He was also good at creating chances for his teammates. He could score goals too, especially from free kicks and long shots. He was known for his excellent technical skills, vision, and smart play. Even though he was very talented, he sometimes got injured during his career.
Life Outside Football
Since 2002, Leonardo has been involved in social work. He works with the Fundação Gol de Letra alongside his friend and former player, Raí. This foundation helps children and teenagers through education and sports.
Leonardo also worked as a football analyst for BBC Television in the United Kingdom. He appeared on Match of the Day during the 2006 World Cup. He also appeared on the show in 2007 for an England game against Brazil at the new Wembley Stadium.
Coaching Career
In 2008, Leonardo became the technical director for his old club, AC Milan. He also became an Italian citizen that year.
Coaching AC Milan
In May 2009, Leonardo became the head coach of AC Milan. He wanted his team to play exciting, attacking football. After a tough start, Milan's results improved. They started using a new tactic that focused on creative players like Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo. This helped Milan get better results in both Serie A and the UEFA Champions League. They even had a great 3-2 win against Real Madrid. However, they were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester United.
In April 2010, Leonardo confirmed that he had disagreements with the club owner, Silvio Berlusconi. It was decided that Leonardo would leave Milan at the end of the season. He said an emotional goodbye to the fans after his last game, which Milan won 3-0 against Juventus.
Coaching Inter Milan
On December 24, 2010, Leonardo became the head coach of Inter Milan. This was a bit surprising because he had a long history with their rivals, AC Milan. He started very well, earning many points in his first games. On March 6, 2011, Leonardo set a new Italian Serie A record for points collected in 13 games.
On March 15, 2011, Leonardo led Inter to a memorable 3-2 Champions League victory over Bayern Munich. However, Inter's chances of winning the league ended after losses to AC Milan and Parma. On May 29, 2011, Inter defeated Palermo 3-1. This gave Leonardo his first and only trophy as Inter's manager, the Coppa Italia. He resigned on June 18, 2011.
Executive Career
Working for Paris Saint-Germain
In July 2011, Leonardo became the new director of football for PSG. He was in charge of making big decisions about player transfers. He brought in many important players like Jérémy Ménez, Javier Pastore, and Keylor Navas. He also helped bring his friend Carlo Ancelotti to coach PSG.
In May 2013, Leonardo was banned from football for nine months. This was after he was accused of pushing a referee. The ban was later extended to 13 months. On July 10, he resigned from his role as sporting director. His ban was later overturned in June 2014.
Working for AC Milan Again
In July 2018, Leonardo returned to AC Milan as their new sporting director. He was responsible for signing new players. His first two signings were Gonzalo Higuaín and Mattia Caldara from Juventus. In December 2018, he earned his sporting director diploma.
Return to Paris Saint-Germain
On July 1, 2019, Leonardo became the sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain again. He made several important signings for PSG during the 2019–20 season. These included Abdou Diallo, Ander Herrera, and Mauro Icardi. The club won three domestic titles that season and reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time.
In May 2022, Leonardo left Paris Saint-Germain.
Honours
Player
Flamengo
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1987
- Copa do Brasil: 1990
São Paulo
- Intercontinental Cup: 1993
- Recopa Sudamericana: 1993, 1994
- Supercopa Sudamericana: 1993
Kashima Antlers
- J1 League: 1996
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1998–99
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03
Brazil
- FIFA World Cup: 1994
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
- Copa América: 1997
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata: 1991
- A.C. Milan Hall of Fame
- Golden Foot Award Legends: 2018
Manager
Inter Milan
- Coppa Italia: 2010–11
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo para niños
