Former Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa has been announced as Fabio Cannavaro's replacement as Tianjin Quanjian boss.

Sousa, an ex-Portugal international as a player, left Fiorentina in June and will take over a side that finished third in the Chinese Super League (CSL) this season.

That saw Tianjin earn an AFC Champions League place and the club were excited to welcome Sousa.

"Mr Sousa's teams are renowned for their tactical diversity and elegant style of play, which are a classic example of modern, aggressive football," a statement read.

"Hopefully Mr Sousa will lead Tianjin Quanjian to scale new heights in seasons ahead and bring happiness to our fans in coming seasons."

Cannavaro, meanwhile, is reportedly set to return to Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao for a second stint.

The Chinese champions are searching for a new coach with Luiz Felipe Scolari leaving the post.