Paolo Cannavaro will link up with brother and Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao head coach Fabio in China after the Sassuolo defender announced his retirement.
Cannavaro will farewell Sassuolo when the Serie A side face Roma on Saturday before joining the seven-time reigning Chinese Super League champions.
The 36-year-old is set to assist former Italy international and World Cup-winning defender Fabio, who is back as Evergrande boss after replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari in November.
"I wanted to leave a mark on and off the pitch," Paolo Cannavaro told reporters. "My ambition was too strong, and for this, I thank president [Giorgio] Squinzi and [Giovanni] Carnevali.