Nelsinho Baptista

Born in Campinas, São Paulo, he was known as just Nelsinho during his playing days, and made his first team debut with Ponte Preta on 21 May 1967, in a 1–0 Campeonato Paulista Divisão de Acesso loss to São Carlos. He became team captain in 1969, aged 19, and helped the side to achieve promotion to the Campeonato Paulista as champions. Nelsinho moved to São Paulo in 1971, being a regular starter as the club won the 1975 Campeonato Paulista. He played 267 matches for the club during his six-and-a-half-year spell, scoring five goals. In 1977, Nelsinho signed for Santos, making his debut on 6 November of that year in a 1–0 home loss to Botafogo-SP. A starter, he won the 1978 Campeonato Paulista and featured in 80 matches during the 1979 campaign, being the most utilized player of the squad during that year. Nelsinho joined Juventus in 1981, and retired in the end of the 1984 season, at the age of 34.

Shortly after retiring, Baptista took up coaching and was appointed São Bento head coach for the 1985 season. He subsequently had short spells at the helm of Ponte Preta and Mogi Mirim before taking over Inter de Limeira in 1986 in the place of Lori Sandri. In 1987, Baptista was named Atlético Paranaense head coach, leading them to the third position of the Yellow Module and winning the 1988 Campeonato Paranaense. He left the club at the end of the season, and moved abroad for the first time in his career to take over Sporting Barranquilla in the Colombian Campeonato Profesional. Sacked by the Colombian side in April 1989, Baptista was named at the helm of América-SP after a short spell back at São Bento; at América, his fitness coach was Vadão. In 1990, he led Novorizontino to the finals of the 1990 Campeonato Paulista against Bragantino, which was known as the Final Caipira. In September 1990, Baptista was named Corinthians head coach, and led them to their first-ever Série A title. Despite renewing his contract and winning the 1991 Supercopa do Brasil, Baptista was sacked by Timão in April 1991, after being knocked out from the 1991 Copa do Brasil and the 1991 Copa Libertadores. In June, he was hired by Palmeiras, but was dismissed in August 1992. In 1992, Baptista returned to Corinthians after replacing Basílio, but was sacked in August 1993 after losing the 1993 Torneio Rio-São Paulo finals to his former side Palmeiras. He subsequently worked abroad, managing Al-Hilal…

Baptista's son Eduardo is also a coach; both worked together for several years until 2011, when Eduardo returned to Brazil while Nelsinho remained in Japan.

Player

Ponte Preta

Campeonato Paulista Divisão de Acesso: 1969 São Paulo

Campeonato Paulista: 1975 Torneio Nunes Freire: 1976 Santos

Campeonato Paulista: 1978

Coach

Atlético Paranaense

Campeonato Paranaense: 1988 Corinthians

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1990 Supercopa do Brasil: 1991 Campeonato Paulista: 1997 São Paulo

Campeonato Paulista: 1998 Goiás

Campeonato Goiano: 2003 Sport Recife

Copa do Brasil: 2008 Campeonato Pernambucano: 2008, 2009 Kashiwa Reysol

J.League Division 1: 2011 J.League Division 2: 2010, 2019 J.League Cup: 2013 Emperor's Cup: 2012 Japanese Super Cup: 2012 Suruga Bank Championship: 2014 Individual

J.League Manager of the Year: 2011