Ze Ricardo has been appointed head coach of Vasco da Gama, the Rio de Janeiro football club said on Wednesday.
The 46-year-old former Flamengo chief coach replaced Milton Mendes who was sacked on Monday amid a poor run of results, reports Xinhua news agency.
Ricardo, who will be tied to the club until 2018, was tasked with keeping Vasco in Brazil's top division as they face the threat of relegation for the fourth time in a decade.
The four-time Brazilian Serie A champions won just two of their past eight matches and sat the 16th in the 20-team standings with 17 games remaining.
Vasco's next match is away to Flamengo on Saturday.
--IANS
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