As a player, Gentil Cardoso had little renown, playing for minor football teams in Rio de Janeiro during the1920s, most notably for São Cristóvão.[1][2]
Gentil worked as a coach for several clubs, having started his career at Syrio and Libanez in 1930, the club with which he ended his career as a player. He won the Campeonato Carioca twice (in 1946 with Fluminense and 1952 with Vasco da Gama), in addition to being the coach of the Brazil national team in the1959 South American Championship, held in Ecuador, and which included football representatives fromPernambuco state in the dispute. He also coached Sporting CP, winning the Taça de Honor and scoring the biggest defeat in European competitions, with a 16–0 victory overAPOEL. He ended his career in 1969 at El Nacional deQuito.[1][2][3]
Gentil ran away from home at the age of 13 to try his luck in Rio de Janeiro, working various odd jobs before becoming a player. As a coach he was marked by folkloric phases, the most folkloric being "It's going to be azebra" (Portuguese:"Vai dar zebra"), referring to unusual results in football.[2]
