Toninho Cerezo

This article is about the Brazilian footballer. For the ex-Mayor of Campinas, see Antonio da Costa Santos.

Antônio Carlos Cerezo (born 21 April 1955), known as Toninho Cerezo (Brazilian Portuguese: [toˈniɲu sɛˈɾɛzu]), is a Brazilian former footballer. Cerezo is commonly regarded as one of the finest Brazilian defensive midfielders of all time, most notably having played for his hometown's team Atlético Mineiro;^[1] he also played for several other clubs in both Brazil and Italy throughout his career.

Toninho Cerezo

Toninho Cerezo in 1993
Personal information
Full name	Antônio Carlos Cerezo
Date of birth	(1955-04-21) 21 April 1955 (age 70)
Place of birth	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1972–1983	Atlético Mineiro	111	(12)
1973–1974	→ Nacional (AM) (loan)	20	(3)
1983–1986	Roma	70	(13)
1986–1992	Sampdoria	145	(14)
1992–1993	São Paulo	72	(7)
1994	Cruzeiro	10	(3)
1995	Lousano Paulista
1995–1996	São Paulo	8	(0)
1996	América Mineiro
1997	Atlético Mineiro
International career‡
1977–1986	Brazil	57	(5)
Managerial career
1999	Vitória
2000–2005	Kashima Antlers
2005	Guarani
2005	Atlético Mineiro
2007	Al Hilal
2007–2009	Al Shabab
2009–2010	Al Ain
2010	Sport Recife
2012	Vitória
2013–2015	Kashima Antlers
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 September 2010 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 September 2010

At international level, Cerezo took part at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups – winning a bronze medal in the former edition of the tournament – and the 1979 Copa América, where Brazil finished in third place.

Club career

Throughout his career, Cerezo played as a defensive midfielder with Atlético Mineiro, Roma, Cruzeiro, Sampdoria, São Paulo and the Brazil national team.

While playing in Brazil, he won the Bola de Ouro in 1977 and 1980 and the Bola de Prata in 1976.

During his time in Italy, Cerezo won the Coppa Italia four times; in 1991 he won the Serie A with Sampdoria, but lost the Coppa Italia final to AS Roma.^[2]

With São Paulo he was a two-time winner of the Intercontinental Cup, and also won the Copa Libertadores once. Cerezo was named the best player of the 1993 Intercontinental Cup final.^[3](He scored the second goal and assisted Müller's game-winning goal in a 3–2 victory against Milan.^[4])

In 1997, he retired as a player, and, after doing some studies and probations in Italy, he returned to Brazil, and start a career as a manager at Vitória, reaching the semifinals of the Brasileirão Série A. He also led Japanese powerhouse Kashima Antlers in the J.League for six years. He won five major titles in Japan, two league championships, one Emperor's Cup, and two league cups.

After his time in Japan, he coached Brazilian clubs Atlético Mineiro, and Guarani, as well as some Asian clubs, such as Al Hilal, Al Shabab, Al Ain; he later returned to Brazil once again as head manager of Sport Recife, leaving the club just one month later.

International career

Cerezo won 57 caps (full international games), between March 1977 and June 1985, with the Brazil national team, scoring five goals.

He played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where they finished in third place, and in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated in the second round in a group which contained defending champions and continental rivals Argentina, as well as the eventual champions Italy. He was also due to go to the 1986 tournament, but a hamstring injury in May ruled him out of the upcoming World Cup.^[5] He was a member of the Brazilian team that finished in third place at the 1979 Copa América.

At the 1982 FIFA World Cup one of his back passes was intercepted by Italian striker Paolo Rossi, who went on to score; the match ended in a 2–3 loss to Brazil, which also saw Rossi score a hat-trick, and as a result, Brazil were knocked out of the tournament in a dramatic upset. For many years after the event, he was widely criticized for this error by many Brazilian fans and members of the press.^[6]

Style of play

A tall and strong midfielder, with a slender frame, Cerezo is regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian defensive midfielders of all time, and was well known for his tireless work-rate, stamina, and tactical awareness, as well as his dynamic, physical, and energetic style of play. Although he was usually deployed in a holding role, Cerezo was also an elegant and highly creative player, who was highly regarded in the media for his technique, vision, ability to understand the game, and passing range, which enabled him to orchestrate attacking moves for his team, get forward, and create chances for teammates after winning back possession; as such, he often functioned as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield throughout his career. Although he was mainly a team player, who preferred to assist other players over scoring himself, he also possessed an accurate shot.^{[1][6][7][8][9][10]}

Personal life

Cerezo is Roman Catholic^{[11] [12]} and is father of four children, including fashion model Lea T.^[13]

Career statistics

Club

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
1972	Atlético Mineiro	Série A	3	0
1973			4	0
1973	Nacional-AM	Série A	20	3
1974	Atlético Mineiro	Série A	5	0
1975			12	0
1976			19	2
1977			18	0
1978
1979			8	1
1980			19	4
1981			9	3
1982			3	0
1983			11	2
1983–84	Roma	Serie A	30	6
1984–85			22	3
1985–86			18	4
1986–87	Sampdoria	Serie A	28	3
1987–88			28	3
1988–89			29	2
1989–90			21	2
1990–91			12	3
1991–92			27	1
1992	São Paulo	Série A
1993			13	1
1994	Cruzeiro	Série A	10	3
1995	Paulista
1995	São Paulo	Série A	8	0
1996	América-MG
1996	Atlético Mineiro	Série A
Total	Brazil
	Italy		215	27
Career total

International

Brazil national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1977	11	2
1978	11	0
1979	2	0
1980	6	1
1981	13	2
1982	9	0
1983	0	0
1984	0	0
1985	5	0
1986	0	0
Total	57	5

Managerial statistics

^[14]

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Kashima Antlers	2000	2005	184	98	31	55	053.26
Kashima Antlers	2013	2015	88	43	16	29	048.86
Total			272	141	47	84	051.84

Honours

Player

Club

Nacional^[15]

• Campeonato Amazonense: 1974

Atlético Mineiro^[15]

• Campeonato Mineiro: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
• Copa dos Campeões da Copa Brasil: 1978
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up: 1977, 1980

Cruzeiro

• Campeonato Mineiro: 1984

Roma^[15]

• Coppa Italia: 1984, 1986
• European Cup runner-up: 1984

Sampdoria^[15]

• Serie A: 1990–91
• Coppa Italia: 1988, 1989
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1990
• European Cup runner-up: 1992
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1991^[16]

São Paulo^[15]

• Campeonato Paulista: 1992
• Copa Libertadores: 1993
• Supercopa Libertadores: 1993
• Recopa Sudamericana: 1993
• Intercontinental Cup: 1992, 1993

Individual

• South American U-20 Championship Top Scorer: 1977^[17]
• Bola de Ouro: 1977, 1980^[15]
• Bola de Prata: 1976, 1977, 1980^[15]
• FIFA XI (Reserve): 1979^[18]
• World XI Soccer: 1983
• Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player of the Match Award: 1993^[15]
• A.S. Roma Hall of Fame: 2016^[19]

Manager

Club

Kashima Antlers

• J.League: 2000, 2001
• J.League Cup: 2000, 2002
• Emperor's Cup: 2000
• Suruga Bank Championship: 2013

Al Shabab

• UAE Football League: 2008