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| Mano Menezes | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mano Menezes |
| Full name | Luiz Antônio Venker de Menezes |
| Birth date | 17 June 1962 |
| Birth place | Passo do Sobrado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Youth clubs | Grêmio |
| Managerial career | Grêmio (1996–2000), Guarani (2000–2001), Avaí (2001–2002), Caxias (2002–2003), Internacional (2003), Grêmio (2004–2005), Bragantino (2005), Corinthians (2008–2010, 2014–2016), Flamengo (2010–2011), Cruzeiro (2013–2014), Brazil (2010–2012), Shandong Luneng (2017–2019) |
Mano Menezes is a Brazilian football manager and former player known for leading clubs across Brazil and managing the Brazil national team. He gained national prominence with successes at Corinthians, earning domestic titles and guiding high-profile squads in the Copa Libertadores. His appointment to the Brazil job followed notable club achievements, and his tactical pragmatism elicited debate among commentators, players and administrators.
Born in Passo do Sobrado in Rio Grande do Sul, Menezes began his footballing pathway in the youth ranks of Grêmio alongside generations shaped by the club's academy. As a midfielder he featured in lower-tier teams across Brazil, experiencing competitions such as the Campeonato Gaúcho and regional tournaments that developed a network connecting clubs like Caxias do Sul and Avaí FC. Injuries and the modest scale of his playing career prompted an early transition into coaching, linking him with coaching figures from Porto Alegre and the Rio Grande do Sul coaching circuit.
Menezes established his managerial reputation through appointments at a string of Brazilian clubs, taking charge of projects at Grêmio, Guarani FC, Associação Chapecoense de Futebol affiliates and Clube Atlético Bragantino. His work at Corinthians marked a high point, where he succeeded in securing the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title and the Campeonato Paulista against rivals such as Palmeiras and São Paulo FC. He later managed flagship clubs including CR Flamengo and Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, facing competitors like Santos FC and Fluminense FC in national cup and league campaigns. Internationally, he had a managerial stint with Shandong Luneng Taishan in the Chinese Super League, exposing him to Asian club structures and tournaments such as the AFC Champions League.
Appointed to lead the Brazil national football team during a period of transition, Menezes succeeded Dunga with a brief to rebuild Brazil ahead of major tournaments and qualifiers. His tenure involved integrating players from major clubs including Real Madrid-affiliated Brazilians, those at FC Barcelona, and stars plying careers at Manchester United, Chelsea F.C., and Paris Saint-Germain. He navigated fixtures against CONMEBOL opponents like Argentina national football team and Uruguay national football team and oversaw selections for competitions tied to the FIFA World Cup cycle and friendly tournaments such as the Copa América. Debates around his squad choices referenced names associated with Olympic football campaigns and continental club performances in the Copa Libertadores.
Menezes advocated a pragmatic, structured approach influenced by Brazilian and international coaching trends, emphasizing balance between offensive players developed at academies like São Paulo FC and disciplined defenders from SE Palmeiras. His tactical setups often referenced formations used by contemporaries at FC Barcelona and managers from the UEFA circuit, while adapting to the physical demands seen in CONMEBOL competitions. He prioritized player rotation and integration of younger talents from youth systems such as those at Grêmio and Fluminense FC, and his teams were noted for transitional play and set-piece organization when facing tacticians from clubs like Atlético Mineiro and Internacional.
Menezes's personal life connects him to the footballing communities of Rio Grande do Sul and the broader Brazilian football network, with familial and professional ties to figures who worked at clubs like Caxias and Avaí FC. He has engaged with administrators from the Brazilian Football Confederation and maintained relationships with former players who transferred to European outfits including AC Milan and Juventus FC. Outside football he has been involved in regional initiatives in Porto Alegre and has spoken at events featuring personalities affiliated with CONMEBOL and national sporting institutions.
As a manager, Menezes won domestic titles including the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and state championships such as the Campeonato Paulista with Corinthians. He led teams into stages of the Copa Libertadores and secured silverware with clubs competing in the Copa do Brasil and regional cups contested by sides like Santos FC, Fluminense FC and Palmeiras. Individually, his recognition included awards and mentions within Brazilian football media and honors from clubs in São Paulo (state) and Minas Gerais for championship campaigns and qualification achievements for continental competitions.
Category:Brazilian football managers Category:1962 births Category:Living people