Nelsinho Baptista

Born in Campinas, São Paulo, he was known as just Nelsinho during his playing days, and made his first team debut with Ponte Preta on 21 May 1967, in a 1–0 Campeonato Paulista Divisão de Acesso loss to São Carlos. He became team captain in 1969, aged 19, and helped the side to achieve promotion to the Campeonato Paulista as champions.^[1]

Nelsinho moved to São Paulo in 1971, being a regular starter as the club won the 1975 Campeonato Paulista. He played 267 matches for the club during his six-and-a-half-year spell, scoring five goals.^[2][3]

In 1977, Nelsinho signed for Santos, making his debut on 6 November of that year in a 1–0 home loss to Botafogo-SP. A starter, he won the 1978 Campeonato Paulista and featured in 80 matches during the 1979 campaign, being the most utilized player of the squad during that year.^[4]

Nelsinho joined Juventus in 1981, and retired in the end of the 1984 season, at the age of 34.^[3]

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Shortly after retiring, Baptista took up coaching and was appointed São Bento head coach for the 1985 season.^[5] He subsequently had short spells at the helm of Ponte Preta and Mogi Mirim^[6] before taking over Inter de Limeira in 1986 in the place of Lori Sandri.^[7]

In 1987, Baptista was named Atlético Paranaense head coach, leading them to the third position of the Yellow Module and winning the 1988 Campeonato Paranaense.^[8] He left the club at the end of the season, and moved abroad for the first time in his career to take over Sporting Barranquilla [es] in the Colombian Campeonato Profesional.

Sacked by the Colombian side in April 1989,^[9] Baptista was named at the helm of América-SP after a short spell back at São Bento; at América, his fitness coach was Vadão.^[10] In 1990, he led Novorizontino to the finals of the 1990 Campeonato Paulista against Bragantino, which was known as the Final Caipira.^[11]

In September 1990, Baptista was named Corinthians head coach, and led them to their first-ever Série A title.^[12]

Despite renewing his contract and winning the 1991 Supercopa do Brasil, Baptista was sacked by Timão in April 1991, after being knocked out from the 1991 Copa do Brasil and the 1991 Copa Libertadores. In June, he was hired by Palmeiras, but was dismissed in August 1992.^[13]

In 1992, Baptista returned to Corinthians after replacing Basílio, but was sacked in August 1993 after losing the 1993 Torneio Rio-São Paulo finals to his former side Palmeiras. He subsequently worked abroad, managing Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Verdy Kawasaki in Japan, before returning to his home country in 1996 with Internacional.

Baptista left Inter to return to Corinthians in November 1996,^[14] where he won the 1997 Campeonato Paulista. After a poor performance in the 1997 Série A, he left and was named Cruzeiro head coach in August in the place of Paulo Autuori.^[15]

Baptista left Cruzeiro after losing the 1997 Intercontinental Cup to Borussia Dortmund, and was named in charge of São Paulo in February 1998.^[16] He won the year's Paulistão before leaving in September, and was in charge of Chilean side Colo-Colo during the 1999 season.

After being named head coach of Portuguesa for the 2000 campaign, Baptista resigned from the club on 3 June of that year.^[17] He returned to Ponte on 4 August,^[18] but was dismissed by the club on 29 May 2001, after he had agreed to a contract with São Paulo.^[19]

Baptista announced his departure from Tricolor on 25 April 2002,^[20] and signed for Goiás on 28 August.^[21] On 21 March 2003, he was announced as head coach of Flamengo,^[22] but resigned on 17 July.^[23]

Four days after leaving Flamengo, Baptista took over São Caetano,^[24] but left the club in July 2003 after accepting an offer from Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight.^[25]

Sacked by Nagoya Grampus on 19 September 2005,^[26] Baptista took over Santos twelve days later,^[27] but was also dismissed on 20 November, after six winless matches which included a 7–1 loss to rivals Corinthians and a 4–0 loss to Internacional.^[28] He returned to São Caetano on 14 December,^[29] but was relieved from his duties on 1 June 2006.^[30]

Baptista returned to Ponte for a fourth spell as head coach in 2007, but was sacked on 23 September of that year.^[31] Two days later, he returned to Corinthians,^[32] but was dismissed on 4 December, after failing to prevent the club's first-ever relegation.^[33]

Baptista was appointed Sport Recife head coach on 10 December 2007,^[34] and won the 2008 Copa do Brasil with the club.^[35] On 28 May 2009, he resigned after having altercations with the squad.^[36]

On 16 July 2009, Baptista returned to Japan to manage Kashiwa Reysol.^[37] Despite being unable to avoid relegation to J2 League at the end of the year, the club relented and allowed him to remain in charge. In 2011, Reysol under him won their first ever J1 League title, making history by becoming the first team to win the championship following promotion.^[38] In the same year, Nelsinho Baptista received the J. League Manager of the Year at the J. League awards in Yokohama.^[39]

Baptista switched Reysol for Vissel Kobe in the end of the 2014 season, being sacked from the latter on 16 August 2017.^[40] He returned to Sport on 13 December,^[41] but announced his departure from the club the following 24 April.^[42]

On 16 November 2018, Baptista agreed to return to Reysol after signing a three-year contract.^[43] The club announced his departure on 17 May 2023, with Masami Ihara taking his place.^[44]

On 29 May 2024, Baptista returned to Ponte after 17 years, replacing João Brigatti at the helm of the club.^[45] On 21 October, after a 1–0 loss to rivals Guarani, he resigned.^[46]

Baptista's son Eduardo is also a coach;^[47] both worked together for several years until 2011, when Eduardo returned to Brazil while Nelsinho remained in Japan.^[48]

As of match played 5 July 2025

Player

Ponte Preta

• Campeonato Paulista Divisão de Acesso: 1969

São Paulo

• Campeonato Paulista: 1975
• Torneio Nunes Freire: 1976

Santos

• Campeonato Paulista: 1978

Coach

Atlético Paranaense

• Campeonato Paranaense: 1988

Corinthians

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1990
• Supercopa do Brasil: 1991
• Campeonato Paulista: 1997

São Paulo

• Campeonato Paulista: 1998

Goiás

• Campeonato Goiano: 2003

Sport Recife

• Copa do Brasil: 2008
• Campeonato Pernambucano: 2008, 2009

Kashiwa Reysol

• J.League Division 1: 2011
• J.League Division 2: 2010, 2019
• J.League Cup: 2013
• Emperor's Cup: 2012
• Japanese Super Cup: 2012
• Suruga Bank Championship: 2014

Individual

• J.League Manager of the Year: 2011