RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former Argentina international striker Hernan Crespo has been appointed manager of Sao Paulo, the Brazilian Serie A club said on Friday.

The 45-year-old agreed to a two-year contract less than a week after leaving his post as head coach of Argentina's Defensa y Justicia.

"After a very careful ... evaluation, in which we consulted several coaches, we believe that Hernan Crespo fits perfectly into what we envisage for Sao Paulo," club president Julio Casares said in a statement.

"He has a successful record. He was a great player and is now a very promising coach. We will have a coach with a winning mentality and Sao Paulo's DNA," Casares added.

Crespo replaces Fernando Diniz, who was sacked on February 1 after a poor run of results.

Sao Paulo are currently fourth in Brazil's 20-team Serie A standings, seven points behind leaders Internacional.

Crespo became Sao Paulo's top choice after leading Defensa y Justicia to the Copa Sudamericana title - their first international trophy - in January. He previously had spells in charge of Modena and Banfield.

As a player, Crespo was capped 64 times for Argentina in a career that included stints with River Plate, Parma, Lazio, Inter Milan, Chelsea, AC Milan and Genoa. Enditem

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