 Sampaio in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos César Sampaio Campos | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-03-31)31 March 1968 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Santos (technical coordinator) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1983–1986 | Santos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1991 | Santos | 229 | (6) |
| 1991–1994 | Palmeiras | 161 | (17) |
| 1995–1998 | Yokohama Flügels | 116 | (13) |
| 1999–2000 | Palmeiras | 34 | (4) |
| 2000–2001 | Deportivo La Coruña | 10 | (0) |
| 2001 | Corinthians | 9 | (0) |
| 2002 | Kashiwa Reysol | 26 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 55 | (5) |
| 2004 | São Paulo | 25 | (1) |
| Total | 665 | (49) | |
| International career | |||
| 1987 | Brazil U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 1990–2000 | Brazil | 47 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020–2022 | Brazil (assistant) | ||
| 2023–2024 | Flamengo (assistant) | ||
| 2025 | Santos (assistant) | ||
| 2025 | Santos (interim) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Carlos César Sampaio Campos (born 31 March 1968), known asCésar Sampaio, is a Brazilianfootballpundit,coach and former player who played as adefensive midfielder. He is the current technical coordinator ofCampeonato Brasileiro Série A clubSantos.
Born and raised inJabaquara, a district ofSão Paulo, César Sampaio was spotted byLima and invited to join the youth sides ofSantos in 1983.[1] He made his first team debut in 1986, and subsequently established himself as a regular starter.
In July 1991, César Sampaio moved toPalmeiras for a fee ofUS$ 450,000, withRanielli andSerginho Fraldinha moving in the opposite direction.[2] An undisputed starter, he won several titles at the club.
In 1995, César Sampaio moved abroad and joinedJ1 League sideYokohama Flügels. In January 1999, after being close to a move toVasco da Gama, he returned to Palmeiras,[3] beingteam captain during the club's1999 Copa Libertadores title.
In July 2000, César Sampaio joinedLa Liga sideDeportivo de La Coruña.[4] Rarely used and struggling with injuries, he returned to Brazil in October 2001, after being presented atCorinthians.[5]
César Sampaio departedTimão on 7 December 2001,[6] and returned to Japan six days later after signing forKashiwa Reysol.[7] He later representedSanfrecce Hiroshima andSão Paulo, retiring with the latter in December 2004, aged 36.[8]
César Sampaio joined theBrazil national football team during theCopa América in1993, also took part at the1995 edition of the tournament (where they finished as runners-up), but was not part of the team during theFIFA World Cup finals in neither1990 nor1994.
He was later also part of the Brazilian squad that won both theCopa América and theFIFA Confederations Cup in 1997, and played for Brazil at the1998 FIFA World Cup finals, where he made six appearances in the team's run to thefinal, which they lost to the hosts of the tournament,France.[9] At the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, he became remembered for scoring the first goal of the entire tournament in the 4th minute of Brazil's opening match againstScotland, a header from a corner byBebeto on the left.[10] He also scored a brace in Brazil's 4–1 victory againstChile in the round of 16 during the same tournament.[11]
Sampaio is also remembered for helpingRonaldo when he suffered aconvulsive fit in the night before the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.[12]
A hard-working and efficient midfielder, Sampaio has been described byFIFA.com as a "modern defensive midfielder who combined being an enforcer withplaymakingfrom deep," and as a player who filled the void left byDunga as the anchor in Brazil's midfield following his retirement after the 1998 World Cup, by dominating "the engine room." He was neither particularly quick nor flashy in terms of his playing style, however. He is considered to be one of Palmeiras's greatest players ever.[13][14][15]
After retiring, César Sampaio worked as adirector of football ofPelotas,[16]Rio Claro andMogi Mirim.[17][18] On 4 November 2011, he returned to Palmeiras under the same role,[19] departing on 21 January 2013, after the club's relegation.[20]
César Sampaio was named the director of football ofFortaleza on 23 November 2016,[21] but left his role on 3 March of the following year.[22] In January 2015, he became the president ofComercial do Tietê.
On 22 December 2019, César Sampaio left Comercial to joinTite's staff at the Brazil national team, as his assistant.[23] He was a part of the coaching staff during the2022 FIFA World Cup,[24][25] leaving with Tite in late 2022.
In October 2023, César Sampaio moved toFlamengo, again as Tite's assistant;[26] the duo left nearly one month later. On 4 January 2025, he returned to his first club Santos, as permanent assistant coach.[27]
On 14 April 2025, César Sampaio was named interim head coach ofPeixe, afterPedro Caixinha was sacked.[28] On his coaching debut two days later, his side defeatedAtlético Mineiro 2–0 at home.[29]
Back to his assistant role after the appointment ofCleber Xavier, César Sampaio became a technical coordinator at Santos on 22 August 2025.[30]
| Club | Season | League | State league[a] | National cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Santos | 1986 | Série A | 10 | 0 | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1987 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 2 | — | — | — | 41 | 2 | |||||
| 1988 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 1 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | ||||
| 1989 | 16 | 0 | 22 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 1990 | 18 | 1 | 34 | 1 | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 53 | 2 | ||||
| 1991 | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 95 | 2 | 134 | 4 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 234 | 6 | ||||
| Palmeiras | 1991[31] | Série A | — | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||||
| 1992[32] | 18 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 7 | ||||
| 1993[33] | 20 | 2 | 34 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 63 | 6 | |||
| 1994[34] | 22 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7[e] | 0 | — | 58 | 3 | |||
| Total | 60 | 5 | 101 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 186 | 17 | ||
| Yokohama Flügels | 1995 | J1 League | 32 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 1 | |||
| 1996 | 27 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 14[f] | 2 | 43 | 7 | ||||
| 1997 | 29 | 6 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 9[f] | 1 | 40 | 7 | ||||
| 1998 | 28 | 2 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 116 | 13 | — | 11 | 1 | — | 23 | 3 | 150 | 17 | ||||
| Palmeiras | 1999[35] | Série A | 15 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 18[g] | 0 | 4[h] | 0 | 53 | 3 |
| 2000[36] | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12[e] | 1 | 9[d] | 2 | 32 | 4 | ||
| Total | 15 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 85 | 7 | ||
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2000–01 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 5[i] | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Corinthians | 2001 | Série A | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2002 | J1 League | 26 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 6[f] | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2003 | J2 League | 41 | 5 | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 5 | |||
| 2004 | 14 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2[f] | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 5 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 61 | 5 | ||||
| São Paulo | 2004 | Série A | 25 | 1 | — | — | 2[j] | 0 | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Career Total | 411 | 31 | 254 | 18 | 39 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 47 | 5 | 800 | 56 | ||
| Brazil national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 |
| 1993 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 10 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 8 | 1 |
| 1998 | 9 | 4 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 47 | 6 |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 August 1995 | National Stadium,Tokyo, Japan |  Japan | 4–1 | 5–1 | Friendly | [38] |
| 2 | 12 December 1997 | King Fahd International Stadium,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup | [39] |
| 3 | 25 March 1998 | Neckarstadion,Stuttgart, Germany |  Germany | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | [40] |
| 4 | 10 June 1998 | Stade de France,Saint-Denis, France |  Scotland | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | [41] |
| 5 | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes,Paris, France |  Chile | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | [42] |
| 6 | 2–0 |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Santos (interim) |  | 14 April 2025 | 29 April 2025 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 033.33 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 033.33 | — | |||
Palmeiras
Yokohama Flügels
Deportivo
Corinthians
Brazil
