RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sao Paulo have appointed former Brazil striker and ex-Shandong Luneng boss Alexi Stival as head coach after sacking Andre Jardine.

Stival, better known as Cuca, will officially begin work in April, ahead of the first weekend of this year's Brazilian Serie A Championship, the club said in a statement. Vagner Mancini will fill the role on an interim basis until then.

Jardine was sacked on Thursday following Sao Paulo's 0-0 home draw with Argentina's Talleres Cordoba - a result that got the Tricolor eliminated from the Copa Libertadores.

Sao Paulo said that Jardine would remain involved with the club's youth academy, where he had success before taking on the senior coaching role last year.

Cuca has been out of work since November, when he quit his post as coach of Santos due to heart problems.

The 55-year-old, who was capped once for Brazil's national team in 1991, was also manager of Sao Paulo in 2004, when he helped the team reach the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores.

His 20-year coaching career has included spells in charge of Flamengo, Palmeiras, Gremio and Chinese Super League team Shandong Luneng, among other teams.