Leonardo agrees to quit as AC Milan coach

Milan: Leonardo is quitting as AC Milan coach by mutual agreement after the team's last game of the season, the club announced on Friday.

Leonardo spent a year in the role following Carlo Ancelotti's move to Chelsea in 2009 and has guided Milan to a place in next season's Champions League.

"We are here together to announce that we have agreed to part ways," Leonardo said. "We are doing so in a quiet, calm manner, as has always been the way in our dealings down the years.

"It doesn't come as a surprise, we just came to the end," he said. "We have reached our objective of the Champions League, but today we decided to formalize this decision."

However, there has been much speculation over his future in the Italian press since Milan was knocked out of this season's Champions League at the last 16 stage by Manchester United.

For much of the season, the team was Inter Milan's main challenger for the title, but twice wasted chances to move top in March and subsequently slipped behind AS Roma into third.

"Milan hasn't contacted anyone," club vice president Adriano Galliani said. "There is a lot of time, we can't rush this decision and we will have to devote more time to it. There is no rush and we haven't yet made a decision."

Milan said Leonardo would leave after its last game of the season against Juventus on Saturday.

Leonardo played for Milan for four years between 1997 and 2001 before returning to Brazil and working in a scouting role, in which he helped Milan secure the signings of Kaka and Alexandre Pato.

In 2008, he was appointed as technical director, before being given his first coaching position in the wake of Ancelotti's departure.

"I didn't know what it was to be a coach," Leonardo said. "It was a great experience, but I don't know if I will do it again in the future, definitely not in the next few years."