[2] The following year Lefundes was rewarded with a three-year contract and moved up to the assistant coach position whilst still co-ordinating the club's fitness program.
During the first half of 2013, he was the interim coach, replacing the manager Choi Kang-Hee who was in the South Korea national football team.
Shandong Luneng managed to rank 1st in the group stage and were eliminated in the round of 16 by Guangzhou Evergrande on penalties.
Lefundes did not renew his contract with the club and the COVID pandemic directly affected his professional future.
In 2020 he accepted the invitation of coach Bruno Lazaroni to work at Botafogo FR (club of the 1st division of the Brazilian championship).