Italy's Fabio Cannavaro has left Chinese Super League (CSL) side Tianjin Quanjian for giants Guangzhou Evergrande after two prolific seasons with Tianjin.
Former Fiorentina manager Paulo Sousa from Portugal is to take over the helm in Quanjian, the club confirmed.
The 44-year-old Italian headed Quanjian for its promotion to the CSL last season and sealed the team a spot in the Asian Champions League this season after securing third place in the Chinese top flight.
Cannavaro is set to replace Brazil's Flipe Scolari at Guangzhou Evergrande, who have just been crowned for the seventh successive time in the domestic league, to start his second spell with the club, where he kicked off his coaching career in 2014 but lasted just eight months.
Local media in Guangzhou revealed Cannavaro's return to Evergrande prior to his announced departure from Quanjian.
"I set a goal of helping Quanjian reach the Asian Champions League in three years when I came here and now I have made it in one and half years," said Cannavaro during the farewell ceremony. "Now I think Quanjian need some blood fresh for next season's campaign when they compete in both the national league and Asian Champions League, and I wish all the best for the club."
Scolari has wrapped up his two-and-half-year contract at the end of the season in Evergrande with three CSL championships and one Asian championship, but failed to earn an extension mainly due to Evergrande's lackluster performance in the Asian Champions League during the last two seasons.
Evergrande suffered their worst result in Asian Champions League last season, failing to reach the knockout stage with a match in hand. The quarterfinal defeat to Shanghai SIPG this season cost the Brazilian his chance of contract renewal as the two-time Asian champions lost the first leg 4-0 away and then the penalty shot 5-4 despite managing to pull off a 4-4 tie on aggregate at home.
Quanjian applauded Cannavaro's contribution to club in a statement.
"Cannavaro had fulfilled his obligation and done a great job since his arrival, finishing the set objectives in less than two seasons. He had contributed significantly in building up a prospective club, upgrading club's personnel management, U23 players' development and fans culture," said the statement.
Sousa, who was a member of the so-called "Portugal Golden Generation," took up coaching and managing several clubs in England, Wales and other countries in the late 2000s, winning national championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Basel.
