Vanderlei Luxemburgo

Born in Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, Luxemburgo played the most of his youth football for Botafogo, but made his official debut with Flamengo in 1972; at the club, he was mainly a backup to Júnior. He left Fla in 1978 to Internacional, where he would become a first-choice for the only time in his entire career, playing 27 matches. Despite being regularly used, Luxemburgo returned to his first club Botafogo in 1979. He retired in 1980, aged 28, due to a knee injury.

Early career

Before being a first team trainer, Luxemburgo spent the rest of the 1980 campaign with Antônio Lopes' Olaria, but not being officially under contract with the club. He was also Lopes' assistant at America-RJ (1981) and Vasco da Gama (1981–82). Luxemburgo's first coaching experience occurred in 1983, with Campo Grande; he only lasted eight matches at the club, being sacked after altercations with the board. In the same year, he also managed Rio Branco-ES, winning the Campeonato Capixaba with the side. In 1984, after managing Friburguense, Luxemburgo then moved abroad to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad; initially Joubert's assistant, he was in subsequently charge of the club. He was at the helm of Democrata-GV in the following year, but only lasted three months. Luxemburgo subsequently rejoined Lopes' staff at Fluminense in 1986, where he acted as head coach of the under-20 squad. In the following year, he replaced Pinheiro in charge of America-RJ. Another stint in the Middle East following, being again assistant of Joubert at Al-Shabab. Luxemburgo returned to Brazil in October 1988, after being invited to coach Bragantino; initially expected to take over the reserve team (named Aspirantes), he convinced the board to become the head coach of the main squad instead. He led the club in winning campaigns of the 1989 Série B (their first-ever national title) and the 1990 Campeonato Paulista, the latter over Novorizontino in a final which was known as the final…

Player

Flamengo

Campeonato Carioca: 1972, 1974, 1978

Manager

Club

Rio Branco-ES

Campeonato Capixaba: 1983 Bragantino

Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 1989 Campeonato Paulista: 1990 Palmeiras

Campeonato Paulista: 1993, 1994, 1996, 2008, 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1993, 1994 Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1993 Santos

Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 1997 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2004 Campeonato Paulista: 2006, 2007 Corinthians

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1998 Campeonato Paulista: 2001 Cruzeiro

Campeonato Mineiro: 2003 Copa do Brasil: 2003 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2003 Atlético Mineiro

Campeonato Mineiro: 2010 Flamengo

Campeonato Carioca: 2011 Sport

Campeonato Pernambucano: 2017

International

Brazil

Copa América: 1999

Individual

IFFHS World's Best National Coach: 1999