Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo was mobbed by jubilant Cruzeiro fans when he arrived to be officially presented by the Brazilian champions.
Television pictures showed security men and police attempting to open a path to allow Rivaldo through the supporters to a waiting bus after he arrived at Belo Horizonte's Pampulha airport.
The former World Player of the Year joined Cruzeiro on Monday little over a month after being released by AC Milan where he had been relegated to the reserve team.
The 31-year-old is returning to play in his homeland for the first time in seven years, during which he also played for Spanish clubs Deportivo Coruna and Barcelona.
At Cruzeiro's training ground, Rivaldo praised the club's infrastructure, saying he was confident he could put his career back on track after an unhappy 18 months in Italy.
"Cruzeiro's installations are certainly not behind Barcelona or Milan," he told reporters. "I think they're slightly better than Milan's, I'm greatly impressed.
"I'd never visited Cruzeiro before and I'm surprised to discover that we have this sort of thing in Brazil, not just abroad."
Rivaldo will lead Cruzeiro's challenge this year as they defend the Brazilian title and attempt to win the Libertadores Cup, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, for the third time.
"The team has a lot of quality," he said. "I'm sure we can bring a lot of happiness to the fans."
Rivaldo has been reunited with Cruzeiro coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who was in charge of a memorable Palmeiras team in which Rivaldo shone during the mid 1990s as well as the Brazil squad which won the 1999 Copa America with Rivaldo again playing a key role.
"It's important to have the confidence of the coach," said Rivaldo, who was repeatedly overlooked at Milan by Carlo Ancelotti. "He is making history in Brazilian football and I owe a lot to him. He's a great coach, he knows my capabilities and I know I won't have any problems with him."