Joao De Smivea - A Brazilian Dream

#1 - A HUMBLE BEGINNING


Hi all,
As a long time FM player, I have always wanted to do a long term save with a purpose. Writing about my save and sharing it for others to read gives me that purpose, so I hope some of you will enjoy following me as I share the tale of a young Brazilian manager who wants to reach the very top, and will go anywhere to forge the legacy he dreams of...the first post below will be a "get to know" style background post.



Joao is a 25 year old football coach born and raised in Sao Paulo, the mega city in the south-east of Brazil. After graduating from college at 19, he studied Sports Science at a local University before getting an internship working within the youth academy at Sao Paulo FC, one of the best clubs in all of Brazil.

Whilst working with the youth teams as a Sport Scientist, the club put Joao through his coaching badges as part of their Internship Development Program (IDP) and also put Joao through a Sports Analysis course, which opened Joao's eyes to the world of football tactics and how actions and decisions from off the pitch can influence how the game unfolds on the pitch.

After 2 years working with the youth academy in a Sports Science role, Joao was offered a new position at the club. After preparing some match analysis on 1st Team games in his own time, 1st Team Manager Fernando Diniz was impressed with the content produced and appointed Joao as Reserve Team Analyst. Diniz also allowed Joao to attend 1st Team training sessions to aid his coaching knowledge as he continued to work through his coaching badges in a fast track program designed by the Brazilian FA.

After spending one year analyzing Reserve team games, Joao was called up to the 1st Team staff, working as an analyst but this was soon cut short as Reserve Team manager Eduardo Zuma resigned following family issues, giving Diniz the opportunity to suggest that Joao should become Reserve Head Coach.

Joao had a lot of thinking to do regarding this position but Diniz insisted Joao take the leap as he knew the strengths of the Reserve Team better than anyone else at the club...so he accepted the offer and at the age of 23 became the Sao Paulo FC Reserve Head Coach.

#2 - A RISKY DECISION

After two years as Head Coach of the Reserve side, Joao was taking an analytic approach to management and it was paying off, with the Reserves being extremely competitive in a division that they don't tend to be very successful. Using his sport science + sport analysis knowledge combined with his good relationship with the younger players at the club he was certainly leaving a good impression with the board at Sao Paulo.


December 2020 arrives and so does the resignation of Fernando Diniz from his1st Team manager position, with the Sao Paulo board unsure of how to approach the next appointment. Following many bleak years in a competitive sense the club had went through a dry spell, not winning a trophy since 2008.

Another issue for the board was the significant outlay in wages, with Brazilian icons such as Dani Alves and Hernanes playing for the club, the financial commitment was not paying off. Following a succession of meetings, it was decided that an approach was to be made for Rogerio Ceni, a Sao Paulo legend who played nearly 600 games for the side. Unfortunately, Ceni had already agreed terms with Flamengo, Brazils biggest club, meaning the Sao Paulo board had to look elsewhere.

A decision was made to take a risk, with no suitable candidates externally the club offered a two-year deal to Joao De Smivea to become 1st Team Manager. Eyebrows were raised at the thought of appointing someone who only came to the club six years ago as a sports science intern but the board thought that Joao had impressed with the Reserve side as well as impressing in his previous analysis work for the 1st Team.

Another deciding factor was the knowledge and relationship Joao had with the younger players who he could integrate into the 1st Team with the board less than impressed with previous high earning acquisitions under past management.



Joao of course accepted this role and immediately appointed former Reserve Manager Eduardo Zuma as his 1st Team assistant manager with Zuma now able to return to the game.

He has a very big head (physically).

A great opportunity for Joao to now make his name!

Diniz getting exactly what he deserves: unemployment

Let's see what you can do in my homeland. Good luck!

Appointing from within can either work fantastically well or prove to be a disaster. Let's hope it's the former of the two.

good luck