He spent time abroad in Europe in 2009 and 2010, with Italian club Lecce and Portuguese side Leixões.[4] At both clubs, he played little, making three and 13 appearances, respectively.[4]
In 2011 Léo Aro returned to Brazil with Comercial-SP, going on to play for lower-league sides such as Marilia and Bragantino-SP.[4] He re-joined former club Guarani in 2014, making few appearances.[4]
He played for Inter de Limeira in the first half of the 2016 season.[2] On 28 December 2016, Taubaté, coached by Evaristo Piza,[5] announced Léo Aro would join the club for the 2017 season in Campeonato Paulista Série A2.[2] He was Taubaté's first signing for the 2017 season.[5] He left the club in April 2017, having made his last appearance on 15 April 2017 in a 3–2 win over São Caetano,[4] and subsequently retired from playing.[4]
Style of play
"A fast and technically gifted player", Léo Aro's preferred playing position was winger but he could also play as a centre-forward.[5] In 2018, after Léo Aro's retirement, Ge.globo's journalist Luiz Felipe Longo stated that Léo Aro's career had been "far less brilliant than expected".[4]
Post-playing career
After his retirement from playing Léo Aro studied to become a fitness coach and had an internship with Ponte Preta's amputee football team.[4] He had started a physical education course in 2002, while at Guarani, which he interrupted in favour of his playing career.[4] In 2020, he said he had completed his degree in physical education in 2018.[3]
Personal life
Léo Aro has a son, who in August 2018 was ten years old.[4]