Veteran coach Claudio Ranieri signed a two-year contract at Inter Milan on Thursday to become the fourth manager at the club since Jose Mourinho's departure in 2010.
Gian Piero Gasperini was fired on Wednesday just five games into the season after the previous night's humiliating 3-1 loss to newly promoted Novara left Inter with one point from three Serie A games.
Mourinho left for Real Madrid in 2010 after winning Serie A, the Italian Cup and the Champions League. Rafa Benitez struggled during the first half of last season and was replaced by Leonardo, who then unexpectedly left for an executive position at Paris Saint-Germain in June - prompting Gasperini's hiring.
The 59-year-old Ranieri has previously managed Chelsea, Juventus and, most recently, Roma. He had started this season working as a commentator for RAI, Italian state TV.
''Gasperini wanted to bring his own ideas,'' Ranieri told RAI late Wednesday. ''He tried to go that route at all costs and it didn't work. I'm going to try to get this squad back to playing like it knows how to, using all of its strength.
''Inter is a great squad. It had a false start and now it needs some enthusiasm.''
Ranieri was to take training Thursday afternoon and be formally presented Friday ahead of Saturday's match at Bologna.
Ranieri took over Roma at a similar stage in 2009, after Luciano Spalletti resigned following two losses to open the season. Ranieri resigned from Roma in February after the squad lost four consecutive matches.
Gasperini was widely criticized for trying to impose a three-man defense on Inter, and for playing Wesley Sneijder out of his preferred position.
Inter's struggles can also be assigned to the sudden departure of the squad's top striker, Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon international left for Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala last month.
Newly signed forwards Diego Forlan and Mauro Zarate have yet to make an impact.
The 59-year-old Ranieri has more of a traditional approach, which he has also displayed at Valencia and Atletico Madrid in Spain, as well as Fiorentina and Parma back in Italy.
''You know how I play. For me the players are more important,'' Ranieri said. ''You know that I don't ever like to make promises, but I think these guys have a lot to give and we've got to show that.''
Inter began its Champions League campaign with a 1-0 home defeat by Turkish side Trabzonspor last week, and was beaten by AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup last month to leave Gasperini with one draw and four losses during his short reign.
''Ranieri is the best choice,'' Inter's president, Massimo Moratti told reporters. ''He has the good sense needed to revitalize the team, both in terms of individuals and as a whole.''
Ranieri faces a busy schedule to start with: Three days after playing Bologna, Inter travels to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, with a big match against Napoli at the San Siro the following weekend.
Inter opened the Serie A season with a 4-3 loss by Palermo, conceding four goals for the first time in a league match in more than seven years. Its only decent performance came in a 0-0 draw at home with Roma last weekend.
