Less than a month after Englishman Sean Sainsbury parted ways with Phnom Penh Crown as head coach after just one season, the six-time champions have brought in Brazilian former Cambodia national side boss Leonardo Vitorino to guide the team’s fortunes for the 2019 domestic football season.

The club confirmed the appointment of Vitorino as the team’s head coach late last week and the Brazilian lost no time in claiming that winning the Metfone C-League would be his top priority.

After replacing South Korean Lee Tae-hoon in March last year, Vitorino lasted eight months dogged by poor results, heavy defeats and criticism from both fans and officialdom over his player choices, strategy and tactics.

His 1-0 win over Afghanistan in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 third round qualifiers was soon overshadowed by growing resentment, leading to his early exit and the arrival of Prak Sovannara as caretaker coach.