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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Brazil U20 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2001 | Brazil | 55 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | AC Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Inter Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Antalyaspor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo (born 5 September 1969), known simply as Leonardo, is a famous Brazilian football player, manager, and executive. He was last 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 at AC Milan, where he played as an attacking midfielder. He played for teams in Brazil, Spain, Japan, France, and Italy. He won championships with Flamengo, São Paulo, Kashima Antlers, and Milan.
He also played for the Brazilian national team. He was part of the team that won the World Cup in 1994. He also played in the 1998 World Cup, where Brazil finished second. Leonardo helped Brazil win the Copa América in 1997 and the FIFA Confederations Cup in the same year.
After he stopped playing, Leonardo became a coach. He managed AC Milan and later their rivals Inter Milan. With Inter, he won the Coppa Italia in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, he was the sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He also coached Antalyaspor in 2017. He returned to AC Milan as sporting director in 2018. In 2019, Leonardo went back to PSG as sporting director, a role he held until 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Leonardo was born and grew up in Niterói, Brazil. He has three children from his first marriage. He is now married to Anna Billó, a TV presenter, and they have two sons together.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Brazil
Leonardo began his football journey with Flamengo in Brazil in 1987. He was only 17 years old. He got to play alongside his hero, Zico, and other great players. He helped Flamengo win his first Brazilian championship.
In 1990, Leonardo joined São Paulo. In 1991, he was part of a talented young team. They won another Brazilian championship under coach Telê Santana.
Playing in Europe and Japan
Later in 1991, Leonardo moved to Europe. He signed with the Spanish club Valencia. After two seasons, he returned to São Paulo briefly in 1993. During this time, his team won important titles like the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.
In 1994, after the World Cup, Leonardo joined Kashima Antlers in Japan. He continued to succeed there, playing again with his friend and idol, Zico. In 1996, he moved back to Europe. He signed with the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He helped PSG reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Becoming a Midfielder
Around this time, Leonardo started playing less as a left-back. He moved into the midfield, often on the left side as a winger. Sometimes he played in the center as an advanced playmaker. This change happened because of his great skills, vision, and smart thinking on the field. He scored some amazing goals in Japan and Europe from his new positions.
Success with AC Milan
In 1997, Leonardo joined the Italian team AC Milan. He became a key player on the left wing. He played four full seasons with the club. He helped them win the 1998–99 Serie A title, scoring 12 goals that season. In total, he scored 22 goals in 177 games for Milan.
He later 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 Brazilian national team in 1990.
1994 and 1998 World Cups
He was chosen as a left-back for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He played well in the first few games. However, he received a four-match suspension for an incident with an American player. This suspension 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, where Brazil reached the final. In 1997, he wore the number 10 shirt for the national team. He was important in helping Brazil win the Copa América and the FIFA Confederations Cup 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 finished his international career with 56 games played and 7 goals scored.
Playing Style
Leonardo was a talented left-footed midfielder. He could play in many different roles. His favorite position was as a playmaker in the midfield. He could be a left winger or an attacking midfielder. He was also good at creating chances for his teammates.
He was known for his excellent technical skills, vision, and smart play. He was great at helping others score goals. He could also score himself, especially from free kicks and long shots. Even though he was very talented, he sometimes had injuries during his career.
Beyond the Field
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 through education and sports.
He also worked as a football analyst for BBC Television during the 2006 World Cup. He shared his expert opinions on the matches.
Coaching Career
In 2008, Leonardo became the technical director for his old club, AC Milan. He also became an Italian citizen that year.
Managing AC Milan
In May 2009, Leonardo became the head coach of AC Milan. He wanted his team to play exciting, attacking football. After a difficult start, his team's results improved. They played with a special tactic that focused on creative players. This led to better results in the Italian league and the UEFA Champions League. They even won against Real Madrid at their home stadium.
Leonardo left Milan by agreement in April 2010. He said his relationship with the club owner was "difficult." He said an emotional goodbye to the fans after his last game.
Managing Inter Milan
On 24 December 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, winning many games. He even set a new Italian Serie A record for points collected in a short period.
On 15 March 2011, he led Inter to a great 3–2 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. However, Inter's chances of winning the league ended after losing to AC Milan and Parma. On 29 May 2011, Inter won the Coppa Italia, giving Leonardo his first trophy as a manager. He resigned from Inter in June 2011.
Executive Career
Working for Paris Saint-Germain
In July 2011, Leonardo became the new director of football for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He was in charge of making big decisions about player transfers. He brought in many important players and helped appoint his friend Carlo Ancelotti as coach.
In May 2013, Leonardo received a ban for an incident involving a referee. The ban was later extended. On 10 July, he resigned from his role as sporting director. The ban was later overturned in June 2014.
Returning to AC Milan
In July 2018, Leonardo returned to AC Milan as their new sporting director. He helped bring in new players like Gonzalo Higuaín and Mattia Caldara. In December 2018, he earned his sporting director diploma.
Second Time at Paris Saint-Germain
On 1 July 2019, Leonardo became the sporting director for Paris Saint-Germain again. During the 2019–20 season, he signed several key players. The club went on to win three domestic titles and reach the UEFA Champions League final for the first time.
In May 2022, Leonardo was let go by Paris Saint-Germain. Even though he convinced Neymar to stay, some people felt his second time at PSG didn't help the club grow as much as it could have.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Flamengo
- Brazilian Championship: 1987
- Brazilian Cup: 1990
São Paulo
- Intercontinental Cup: 1993
- Recopa Sudamericana: 1993, 1994
- Supercopa Sudamericana: 1993
Kashima Antlers
- J1 League: 1996
AC Milan
- Serie A (Italian League): 1998–99
- Coppa Italia (Italian Cup): 2002–03
Brazil National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 1994
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
- Copa América: 1997
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata (Brazilian award): 1991
- A.C. Milan Hall of Fame
- Golden Foot Award Legends: 2018
As a Manager
Inter Milan
- Coppa Italia (Italian Cup): 2010–11
Images for kids
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Leonardo with Inter Milan in 2011
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Leonardo with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo para niños
