| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cledson Rafael de Paiva | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-08-26)26 August 1984 (age 41) | ||
| Place of birth | Cambuí, Brazil | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Atlético Mineiro U17 (head coach) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2013 | Mogi Mirim U15 | ||
| 2014 | Desportivo Brasil U15 | ||
| 2015–2018 | São Paulo U15 | ||
| 2018–2020 | São Paulo U17 | ||
| 2021 | Vasco da Gama U17 | ||
| 2022 | Palmeiras U15 | ||
| 2022–2023 | Palmeiras U17 | ||
| 2024 | Vasco da Gama U20 | ||
| 2024 | Vasco da Gama (interim) | ||
| 2024 | Vasco da Gama (interim) | ||
| 2025–2026 | Club América (assistant) | ||
| 2026– | Atlético Mineiro U17 | ||
Cledson Rafael de Paiva (born 26 August 1984) is a Brazilianfootballcoach, currently the head coach ofAtlético Mineiro'sunder-17 team.
Born inCambuí,Minas Gerais,[1] Paiva began his career as a fitness coach atGuarani before becoming an under-15 coach atMogi Mirim in 2013. He subsequently worked under the same role atDesportivo Brasil andSão Paulo, before being named in charge of the latter's under-17 team in March 2018.[2]
On 2 November 2021, after a period in China, Paiva was named under-17 coach ofVasco da Gama.[3] He left the club on 11 January of the following year,[4] and was announced atPalmeiras the following day, as an under-15 coach.[5]
In March 2022, Paiva was promoted to Palmeiras' under-17 side,[6] and led the side to two consecutiveCampeonato Brasileiro Sub-17 andCopa do Brasil Sub-17 titles. On 23 January 2024, he returned to Vasco after being named in charge of the under-20 squad.[7]
On 27 April 2024, Paiva was named interim head coach of Vasco, after the departure ofRamón Díaz.[8] He led the club in four matches (which included a qualification in the2024 Copa do Brasil)[9] before returning to his previous role after the appointment ofÁlvaro Pacheco on 21 May; on 20 June, however, he returned to an interim role, after Pacheco was sacked.[10]
On 24 November 2024, Paiva was sacked from Vasco during a press conference by club presidentPedrinho.[11] In May 2025, he moved to Mexico and worked as an assistant to compatriotAndré Jardine, before returning to his home country on 2 February 2026 after being named head coach of the under-17 team ofAtlético Mineiro.[12]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Vasco da Gama (interim) |  | 30 April 2024 | 20 May 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | +0 | 025.00 |
| Vasco da Gama (interim) | | 21 June 2024 | 24 November 2024 | 31 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 038.71 |
| Career total | 35 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 42 | 44 | −2 | 037.14 | |||
São Paulo U17
Palmeiras U17