Former Thailand coach Kiatisak Senamuang, in an unexpected development, has taken over the reins of Thai League 1 side Port.
Port team president Nualphan Lamsam on Thursday announced the appointment of Kiatisak, a former national striker who was nicknamed 'Zico' in his heydays, as the new head coach of the club.
Current Port coach Jadet Meelarp has been moved to serve as team advisor.
Kiatisak's return to the coaching assignment has come more than two months after he stepped down as the national team coach.
According to reports, Kiatisak has signed an 18-month contract and will be drawing a monthly salary of one million baht. He will bring his own coaching staff to work at PAT Stadium.
Kiatisak's first match in charge of Port will be their Thai League 1 game against Bangkok United, which will be played at PAT Stadium on Sunday.
Kiatisak, it is believed, had received offers from many teams both in Thailand and in Asean countries after he quit the national team following a string of heavy defeats in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
He was replaced by Serbia's Milovan Rajevac, who was appointed as the new Thailand coach recently.
Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Thiago Cunha has returned to Chonburi from Indonesian club Barito Putera for the second leg of Thai League 1 season.
Chonburi have announced that they have awarded the 32-year-old Cunha a six-month contract with an option to extend it for one more year.
Cunha will join Chonburi as a foreign player for the second leg, replacing Andre Luis Late who has been loaned out to fellow Thai League 1 team Navy.
Cunha played for Chonburi from 2012 to 2015 before moving to Port in 2016.
The Brazilian then went on to play in the Indian league for Mumbai City early this year before joining Barito Putera in Indonesia.
In Japan, crafty Thai midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin has set his sights on breaking into the starting XI of his new club Consadole Sapporo.
Chanathip on Thursday watched his new teammates playing Iwaki FC in the second round match of the Emperor's Cup before Consadole lost 5-2 in the extra-time at their Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium.
"It's a shame we lost today. But hats off to all my teammates as they gave their all," said Chanathip, who added that he can't wait to learn from his new teammates, especially veteran stars Shinji Ono and Junichi Inamoto.
"They both are very experienced players who have played with several top European clubs. I can learn a lot from them. But first what I have to do is to put in my best in order to break into the first eleven of the team."