Ricardo Gomes

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Gomes started playing professionally with Fluminense. With the club, he won three consecutive state leagues, adding the 1984 Série A. In the middle of 1988, he signed with Benfica of Portugal, alongside compatriot Valdo, a midfielder. Both were important elements in their debut season, as Benfica won the national championship, a feat which was again accomplished in 1991, with the defender scoring an astonishing 17 goals in both conquests combined, due to his superb aerial ability. Both Gomes and Valdo left for Paris Saint-Germain in the middle of 1991, and both would return four years later to Lisbon, having won a total of four titles, including the 1993–94 first division title. In his second Benfica spell, he played sparingly, but still managed to score four times in the league, and helped the team win the Taça de Portugal, before retiring from football in June 1996, at only 31.

During one decade, Gomes won 45 caps for Brazil. He appeared for the nation at two Copa América tournaments, winning the 1989 edition played on home soil, and was present at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he played all the matches and minutes until being sent off in the 85th minute for a foul on José Basualdo, in the round of 16 0–1 loss against Argentina. Gomes was also selected – again as captain – to the 1994 World Cup, but had to be removed from the squad in the last hour, due to injury. Additionally, he was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Gomes immediately started coaching with Paris Saint-Germain, leaving the French side after two years, having finished second in the 1996–97 season and winning the following season's Coupe de France. He then returned to his country, managing seven teams until 2004, also having a spell with the Brazilian Olympic team. In the following four seasons, Gomes worked again in France, with Bordeaux then going on to manage Monégasque side Monaco, leaving his post at the latter in late May 2009, with the team eventually ranking 11th. On 20 June 2009, Gomes signed with São Paulo, replacing Muricy Ramalho. In early February 2011, he moved to Vasco da Gama, leading his hometown club to its first ever Copa do Brasil, a 3–3 aggregate win against Coritiba. On 28 August 2011, 46-year-old Gomes suffered a stroke during the match between Flamengo and Vasco da Gama. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance with the game still playing, and was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain hemorrhage that required emergency head surgery. On 14 November 2012, after more one year away from football, Gomes came back to Vasco da Gama as technical director. On 22 July 2015, he returned to command Botafogo in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. In August 2016, Gomes was appointed as the head coach of São Paulo. However, on 23 November 2016, he was dismissed following poor form which left São Paulo one point away from the relegation zone. On 5 September 2018, after two months as Santos director of football,…

Player

Fluminense

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1984 Campeonato Carioca: 1983, 1984, 1985 Benfica

Primeira Liga: 1989–89, 1990–91 Taça de Portugal: 1995–96 Paris Saint-Germain

Ligue 1: 1993–94 Coupe de France: 1992–93, 1994–95 Coupe de la Ligue: 1994–95 Brazil

Pan American Games: 1987 Olympic Silver Medal: 1988 Copa América: 1989

Manager

Paris Saint-Germain

Coupe de France: 1997–98 Coupe de la Ligue: 1997–98 Vitória

Copa do Nordeste: 1999 Campeonato Baiano: 1999 Bordeaux

Coupe de la Ligue: 2006–07 Vasco da Gama

Copa do Brasil: 2011 Botafogo

Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2015