Former Brazil coach Fernando Diniz joins Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro announced on Monday the hiring of coach Fernando Diniz, last year's Copa Libertadores champion with Fluminense and former Brazil interim coach. "May this be the start of a successful trajectory," the club wished on social media.

Diniz, who signed a contract until the end of 2025, will face his first major challenge on Thursday when his new side take on Libertad in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarter-final.

Prior to joining the Belo Horizonte outfit, the coach had a brief spell with the Brazilian national team in 2023, where he had a string of poor results in World Cup qualifying before being replaced by Dorival Junior.

At Fluminense, he won the continent's top title, but this year saw the team suffer a slump in the domestic competition to the relegation zone, leading to his sacking in June.

As well as competing in the Sudamericana, Cruzeiro are in seventh place in the Brasileirao, with one win, two defeats and two draws in their last five games, results that ultimately cost Fernando Seabra his job.