Dorival Júnior

Dorival Júnior is a Brazilian coach and a former professional player. He was born on 25 April 1962 in Araraquara, Brazil.

Dorival started out his playing career at a hometown club Ferroviária in 1982. For 17 years, he was a midfielder in such clubs as Guarani, Avaí, Joinville, São José, Coritiba, Palmeiras, Grêmio, Juventude, Matonense and Botafogo-SP.

In 2003, Júnior embarked on his coaching career training Figueirense and leading them to the Campeonato Catarinense win in the 2003/04 season. The following year he won the Campeonato Cearense with Fortaleza and the 2005/06 Campeonato Pernambucano with Sport Recife. Júnior enjoyed a meteoric rise while coaching São Caetano. It was to his immense credit that the club finished as a runner-up in the Campeonato Paulista in the 2006/07 campaign, losing the final match to Santos. Showing poor results at Cruzeiro in 2007, Júnior took over reins at Coritiba and then at Vasco da Gama. In the 2010/11 season, he ruled the roost at Santos and Atlético Mineiro, and in the 2011/12 campaign – at the giant Brazilian club Internacional. In July 2012, Dorival Júnior was appointed as Flamengo’s head coach. The specialist was released from the club in 2013. Later on he had brief spells with Vasco da Gama and Fluminense.