Luiz Carlos Pereira

Born in Timburi in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Pereira began his career with Platinense of Santo Antônio da Platina in Paraná. In 1981 he joined Ituano, as Platinense could no longer afford to pay his wages after two years with them. Competing in the Campeonato Paulista Série A2, the team would train at night due to work commitments of the squad, with Pereira finding himself staying near the Estádio Álvaro de Souza Lima, where they trained. Ituano's squad grew in strength in 1983, and the club narrowly missed out on promotion to the Campeonato Paulista in 1984. The following year, Pereira was loaned to São Bento, and would have reportedly signed on a permanent basis, were it not for the high fee demanded by Ituano. Instead, he drew the attention of Série A club Bahia, with whom he signed a contract ahead of the 1986 season. Initially a midfielder in his early career, Pereira was converted into a defender at Bahia, due to the club's lack of depth in that area at the time. He helped the club to three Campeonato Baiano titles, as well as reaching the final of the 1988 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, being named in the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) squad, an honour given by Placar magazine. Despite this, he was unable to compete in the final matches of the tournament, as his contract expired before the games were played in February 1989. Without a club, Pereira joined Guarani, where his performances in the 1991 Série B helped the club return to Brazil's top flight. His…

Pereira's son, Leonardo Mantovani Pereira, is a youth football coach, and having worked for Ituano between 2020 and 2023, he joined São Paulo in 2024, taking charge of the under-11 and under-12 teams – a position he held for a year, leaving in July 2025.

Individual Honors

J. League Most Valuable Player: 1994 J. League Best Eleven: 1993, 1994 Japanese Footballer of the Year: 1994

Team Honors

Campeonato Baiano: 1986, 1987, 1988 J1 League: 1993, 1994 J League Cup: 1993, 1994 Japanese Super Cup: 1994