RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Struggling Brazilian Serie A giants Cruzeiro have appointed Paulo Autuori as their head coach until the end of the season, the Belo Horizonte club said on Tuesday.
The 67-year-old replaces Ze Ricardo, who was sacked on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat at Coritiba.
"After several in-house debates over who should be the first team's next manager, the board has appointed Paulo Autuori to take over on a temporary basis," Cruzeiro said in a statement.
Autuori will be tasked with saving the four-time Serie A champions from relegation. The Foxes, who are owned by legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo, are currently 17th in the 20-team top flight standings with six games remaining in the season.
The bottom four teams at the end of the campaign will drop to the second tier next year.
Autuori has managed Cruzeiro on three previous occasions, in 1997, 1999-2000 and 2007. The first game of his latest spell will be a trip to Fortaleza on November 18. ■
