Antônio Carlos Zago facts for kids
Zago in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antônio Carlos Zago | ||
| Date of birth | 18 May 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Presidente Prudente, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | The Strongest (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Corinthians-PP | |||
| 1983–1986 | Ubiratan | ||
| 1988–1989 | São Paulo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1988 | Ubiratan | ||
| 1990–1992 | São Paulo | 111 | (8) |
| 1992 | Albacete | 12 | (1) |
| 1993–1995 | Palmeiras | 145 | (8) |
| 1996–1997 | Kashiwa Reysol | 24 | (0) |
| 1997 | Corinthians | 21 | (2) |
| 1998–2002 | Roma | 107 | (2) |
| 2002–2004 | Beşiktaş | 56 | (2) |
| 2004–2005 | Santos | 8 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Juventude | 53 | (3) |
| 2007 | Santos | 15 | (1) |
| Total | 552 | (27) | |
| National team | |||
| 1991–2001 | Brazil | 37 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009–2010 | São Caetano | ||
| 2010 | Palmeiras | ||
| 2010 | Grêmio Prudente | ||
| 2011 | Mogi Mirim | ||
| 2011 | Vila Nova | ||
| 2012 | Audax São Paulo | ||
| 2013 | Roma (assistant) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Shakhtar Donetsk (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2016 | Juventude | ||
| 2017 | Internacional | ||
| 2017 | Fortaleza | ||
| 2017–2018 | Juventude | ||
| 2018–2019 | Red Bull Brasil | ||
| 2019 | Bragantino | ||
| 2020–2021 | Kashima Antlers | ||
| 2021–2022 | Bolívar | ||
| 2023 | Coritiba | ||
| 2023–2024 | Bolivia | ||
| 2025– | The Strongest | ||
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Antônio Carlos Zago, born on May 18, 1969, is a famous Brazilian football coach and former player. He played as a strong centre back (a defender who plays in the middle of the field). People sometimes call him just Antônio Carlos or Zago. Today, he is the manager of a team called The Strongest.
Contents
Playing Career: Zago's Journey on the Field
Antônio Carlos Zago started his football journey in Brazil. He was born in Presidente Prudente and moved to Dourados as a teenager.
Early Days as a Player
Zago began his senior career with a local team called Ubiratan. Back then, he played as a forward and was known as Tonhão. In 1988, his team finished second in a big state championship. After this, he joined São Paulo, a much bigger club.
Becoming a Star at São Paulo
When Zago arrived at São Paulo, he was known as Antônio Carlos. His coaches saw his potential and moved him to play as a midfielder. Later, he became a libero, a type of defender who sweeps up loose balls. He made his first team debut in April 1990.
With a new manager, Telê Santana, Zago became a regular starter. He helped São Paulo win many important titles. These included two Campeonato Paulista championships in 1991 and 1992. He also won the Brazilian Série A in 1991 and the famous 1992 Copa Libertadores in 1992.
Playing in Europe: Spain and Italy
In 1992, Zago moved to Spain to play for La Liga team Albacete Balompié. He found it hard to get used to the new country, so he left after a few months.
In 1998, Zago moved to Italy to join Roma. He quickly became a key player for the team. Fans even nicknamed him Terminator because of his strong play. Zago played for Roma for five seasons. He was a big part of the team that won the Serie A title in 2001. He played alongside other great defenders like Aldair and Walter Samuel.
After his time at Roma, Zago moved to Turkey in 2002. He signed with Beşiktaş for two years. He continued to show his strong defensive skills there.
Returning to Brazil and Retirement
In 2004, Zago came back to Brazil and joined Santos. He played for them for a short time. Then, he moved to Juventude in 2005.
In 2006, Zago returned to Santos for a second time. He finally retired from playing football in November 2007, at the age of 38.
International Career: Playing for Brazil
Zago also had a successful career playing for his home country, Brazil. He first played for the national team in 1991. He was part of the squad until 1993.
After his strong performances with Roma in Italy, he was called back to the national team in 1998. Between 1998 and 2001, he played 26 games for Brazil and scored two goals. He was also part of the team that won the 1999 Copa América, a major South American football tournament. In total, he played 37 games for Brazil and scored three goals.
Managerial Career: Leading the Teams
After retiring as a player, Zago decided to become a football coach. He started as a technical director at Corinthians.
First Coaching Roles in Brazil
In 2009, Zago became the manager of São Caetano. His team finished seventh in the league. In 2010, he took over as manager of Palmeiras, a club he had played for.
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However, his time at Palmeiras was short, and he left in May 2010. After that, he managed several other Brazilian teams, including Grêmio Prudente, Mogi Mirim, Vila Nova, and Audax São Paulo.
Assistant Coach and Return to Juventude
Zago also spent time as an assistant coach. He worked with Zdeněk Zeman at Roma in 2012. Later, he joined Mircea Lucescu as an assistant at FC Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine from 2013 to 2015.
In 2015, Zago returned to Brazil to manage Juventude. He had a successful period there, helping the club get promoted to a higher league in 2016. He left Juventude in December 2016.
Managing Big Clubs and National Teams
In 2016, Zago became the head coach of Internacional, a very famous Brazilian club. He was dismissed in May 2017. Later that year, he managed Fortaleza and helped them get promoted to Série B.
He had a second short spell as manager of Juventude in 2017-2018. Then, he managed Red Bull Brasil and Bragantino, leading Bragantino to become champions of the Série B in 2019.
In 2020, Zago moved to Japan to manage Kashima Antlers. He stayed there until April 2021. After that, he became the manager of Bolívar in Bolivia, winning the 2022 Apertura title with them.
In 2023, Zago returned to Brazil to coach Coritiba. Later that year, he was announced as the new head coach for the Bolivia national football team. He managed Bolivia until July 2024. In 2025, he returned to club management in Bolivia, taking charge of The Strongest.
Honours
Player
Club
São Paulo
- Copa Libertadores: 1992
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1991
- Campeonato Paulista: 1991, 1992
Palmeiras
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1993, 1994
- Campeonato Paulista: 1993, 1994
Corinthians
- Campeonato Paulista: 1997
Roma
- Serie A: 2000–01
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2001
Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2002–03
Santos
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2004
- Campeonato Paulista: 2007
International
Brazil
- Copa América: 1999
Manager
Internacional
- Recopa Gaúcha: 2017
Bragantino
Bolívar
- Bolivian Primera División: 2022 Apertura
Individual
- Campeonato Paulista Team of the Year: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Antônio Carlos Zago para niños
