Serie A champion Inter Milan have confirmed former AC Milan coach Leonardo as new coach, giving the Brazilian a one-and-a-half-year contract as their new manager.
The former AC Milan coach 41-year-old Leonardo, who had one season in charge of Milan during the 2009-10 campaign, will officially start work with the Serie A champions on Wednesday.
Speculation had linked the former AC Milan coach with the position even before Benitez officially parted company with the European champions, and the Nerazzurri have now officially confirmed his appointment.
A statement on the club's official website read: "Welcome to Leonardo. It will be the Brazilian coach to lead the team from December 29.
"former AC Milan coach Leonardo has a contract that will bind him to Inter until 30 June 2012. For Leonardo, the most sincere and good luck, we believe that he has the class and experience of a champion and his mentality will get the team together to get results."
Club president Massimo Moratti had insisted earlier that he would not be naming Benitez's successor until after Christmas, but has now reneged on that to appoint the former World Cup winner.
The appointment would be unlikely to go down well with Milan supporters - the vice-president, Adriano Galliani, spoke on Thursday of Leonardo's "important history with Milan" - but Moratti does not believe it would constitute a snub.
"I never make this kind of reasoning," he said. "I do not live out of spite, and I would be disappointed if it were interpreted in this way."
