Brazilian club Cruzeiro has announced the signing of Fernando Diniz, the coach who won last year’s Copa Libertadores with Fluminense and was also Brazil's interim manager for a short stint.

Diniz, who signed a contract until the end of 2025, will face his first big challenge this Thursday when Cruzeiro takes on Paraguay’s Libertad in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals.

“Let this be the beginning of a successful journey,” Cruzeiro shared on social media. Before joining the Belo Horizonte team, Diniz had a short spell with the Brazilian national team in 2023, but a string of poor results in the World Cup qualifiers led to him being replaced by Dorival Júnior.

While he led Fluminense to continental glory, this year saw the team struggle in the domestic league, dropping into the relegation zone, which ultimately led to his dismissal in June. Alongside the Sudamericana competition, Cruzeiro currently sits seventh in the league, with one win, two losses, and two draws in their last five matches.