Oswaldo de Oliveira · Biography

Oswaldo de Oliveira Filho won his first trophy as a manager in 1999: the Campeonato Paulista, with Corinthians. Born in Rio de Janeiro on 5 December 1950, the Brazilian coach spent two decades in the dugout. He managed several of Brazil’s biggest clubs, worked in Qatar and, above all, in Japan, where he won three straight league titles with Kashima Antlers. With that same Corinthians side he also won the 1999 Brazilian championship and the first FIFA Club World Championship, played in January 2000.

Luxemburgo’s assistant and first job at Corinthians

Oswaldo reached the Corinthians dugout from within the coaching staff. He was Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s assistant, and on 7 June 1998 he took charge of a friendly against União Barbarense, which ended 1-1, while the head coach was working as a pundit at the World Cup in France. In early 1999, when Luxemburgo left to focus on the Brazil national team, Oswaldo was given the job. The start was poor. A bad run in the Rio-São Paulo Tournament, including a 6-1 defeat to Botafogo, cost him his post. Evaristo de Macedo replaced him, lasted about three months, and Oswaldo was reinstated.

Paulista, Brazilian title and Club World Championship

His second chance produced the most successful spell of his time at the club. Corinthians won the Campeonato Paulista and the 1999 Brazilian championship, despite a quarter-final exit from the Copa Libertadores against Palmeiras. In January 2000 they played, as the host nation’s representative, in the first Club World Championship organised by FIFA. In the final at the Maracanã on 14 January, they drew 0-0 with Vasco da Gama and won the shootout 4-3, with Rincón, Fernando Baiano, Luizão and Edu converting; Edmundo missed Vasco’s last kick. Months later, a semi-final defeat in the 2000 Libertadores, again against Palmeiras, led to his dismissal.

Short spells in Brazilian football

Leaving Corinthians opened a period of brief stints. In the second half of 2000 he managed Vasco da Gama. He coached Fluminense from 2001 to 2002 and São Paulo from 2002 to 2003, winning the 2002 Campeonato Paulista with the latter. Flamengo followed in 2003 and, in 2004, a return to Corinthians and a spell at Vitória. In that second Corinthians stint he avoided relegation from the Paulista on the closing matchday of the competition and was sacked after a quarter-final exit from the Copa do Brasil. He managed Santos in 2005 and in July that year joined Qatar’s Al-Ahli. In 2006 he returned to Brazil to coach Fluminense and Cruzeiro.

Three Japanese titles with Kashima Antlers

In 2007 he took over at Kashima Antlers, where he stayed until December 2011, the longest and most decorated spell of his career. In his first season he won the J.League and the Emperor’s Cup. The club were Japanese champions again in 2008 and 2009, making it three league titles in a row. Oswaldo was named J.League Manager of the Year in all three seasons and became the first coach to receive the award three times. His haul in Japan also included the 2009 and 2010 Super Cups, a second Emperor’s Cup in 2010 and the 2011 J.League Cup, his last trophy before leaving the club.

Botafogo, Santos, Palmeiras and Flamengo

Back in Brazil, Botafogo appointed him in December 2011. He won the Taça Rio in 2012 and, in 2013, the Taça Guanabara, the Taça Rio and the Campeonato Carioca. He managed Santos from December 2013 to September 2014 and was voted best coach of the 2014 Campeonato Paulista. On 16 December 2014 he signed for Palmeiras, whom he led to the 2015 Paulista final, and left the club in June that year. Later in 2015 he coached Flamengo; in 2016, Sport and then, from October, Corinthians for a third time.

Qatar, Atlético Mineiro, Urawa and Fluminense

In January 2017 he accepted an offer from Qatar’s Al-Arabi, where he stayed for around three months. In September that year he took charge of Atlético Mineiro, managing them until February 2018. Two months later he returned to Japan to coach Urawa Red Diamonds and won the 2018 Emperor’s Cup. He left Urawa in May 2019. In August 2019 he went back to Fluminense for a third spell at the club, which ended in September 2019, little more than a month after his arrival.