Vinícius Eutrópio: From Coaching World Cup Hosts To Promotions And Great Escapes | OneFootball

The 2010 World Cup was not only a historic moment for football, but also a historic moment for South Africa, which hosted the tournament and became the first African nation to do so.

One of their assistant coaches during the festival of football was Brazilian Vinicius Eutrópio.

He has been involved in the game since 1984, enjoying a 16-year professional playing career in which he represented 12 different clubs. Some of the clubs he played for include América Mineiro, Figueirense, Cacumia, and Náutico, among others, featuring for a mix of established and well-known sides across Brazilian football.

While his playing career was limited to his native Brazil, the same could not be said about his coaching career, which has taken him all over the globe.

After hanging up his boots, Eutrópio spent several years with Athletico Paranaense, which even included a spell as interim boss in 2006, before he moved to Fluminense to become assistant manager in 2007.

His first managerial spell came in 2009 when he took charge of Ituano. However, it lasted just 12 matches, and later that same year, he returned to Fluminense.

“My experience as a player directly influenced the way I apply my working method, in an integrated way, and with the advantage of knowing how and what players enjoy training,” Eutrópio tells WFi. “This helps me design sessions that are more productive and connected to the players’ reality.”

Fast forward a year, and Carlos Alberto Parreira, who Eutrópio worked under at Fluminense, offered him a chance to be his right-hand man at the 2010 World Cup for hosts South Africa.

Tasked with building a squad for the World Cup without the benefit of competitive football, South Africa played a series of friendly matches against Paraguay, North Korea, Jamaica, Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia, Guatemala and Denmark in their build-up to the tournament.

Impressively, they remained unbeaten throughout this period, recording a 2-0 win over Jamaica, a 4-0 victory against Thailand, a 2-1 win over Colombia, a 5-0 triumph over Guatemala, and a 1-0 victory over Denmark a week before the start of the 2010 World Cup.

“It impacted me in two ways, personally, for being part of that historic moment alongside the South African people. Professionally, because I spent months in Europe watching and studying national teams, gaining great knowledge and experience, of course alongside the great Carlos Alberto Parreira,” he said of preparations with South Africa.

“The preparation happened in several stages. I highlight the last two: one where I remained in Europe gathering material on the opponents while the team trained in South Africa and played friendlies; and the final stage, when I returned to Africa and, over one month, we passed all the information to the players and trained specifically for each opponent.”

The World Cup, being hosted in South Africa, was not just a big moment, but a huge moment for the country. It was also a landmark moment for the entire continent of Africa, as it marked the first time that the world’s biggest sporting event was hosted in Africa, opening up new pathways, development, and opportunities for people across the continent.

It was South Africa’s third appearance at a World Cup, having previously featured in 1998 and 2002. This time, however, they had the honour of competing as host nation and were drawn in a group alongside Uruguay, Mexico and France.

Their tournament began against Mexico, and the opening goal of the 2010 World Cup was a moment that will live long in the memory. Siphiwe Tshabalala unleashed an unforgettable thunderbolt to put South Africa ahead and ignite the competition. However, it was not enough to secure all three points, as veteran defender Rafael Marquez equalised for Mexico to earn a 1-1 draw.

The second group match proved more difficult, as South Africa suffered a 3-0 defeat to Uruguay. The contest remained relatively tight until a red card for goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune in the 76th minute, after which Uruguay took control and pulled away.

In their final group game, South Africa faced a star-studded France side featuring the likes of Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas, and Franck Ribery, with Thierry Henry and Florent Malouda coming off the bench.

On the night, however, it was South Africa who produced a famous performance. Goals from Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela sealed a historic 2-1 victory, despite Malouda pulling one back for France in the 70th minute.

While it was a memorable World Cup win for the hosts, it was ultimately not enough to secure qualification, as South Africa were eliminated on goal difference, with Mexico progressing to the knockout stages.

“The preparation was excellent, and we managed to produce a great opening match. There was confidence, but living that moment was special,” Eutrópio added.

“It was impressive. I remember it well: it was a very busy week full of expectation. At the president’s request, the national team took part in a parade for around 600,000 people to welcome everyone to the World Cup. Every time we went to training, huge numbers of fans followed the bus. The energy was incredible.

“The victory over France showed that it is possible to achieve good results and that the country has good players.

“We still had a chance of qualifying if we could win by a larger margin, which shows that the group believed until the end.”

Following his time in South Africa, Eutrópio went on to enjoy spells in Brazil and Portugal, most notably with Figueirense, where he helped guide the club to promotion to Série A.

He would later move to the UAE, before returning to Brazil with Chapecoense, playing a key role in helping build a side that qualified for international competition for the first time in the club’s history, reaching the Copa Sudamericana.

That same Chapecoense side would eventually go on to win the tournament, although the achievement will forever be overshadowed by the tragic events that followed.

Reflecting on his experiences working across different countries, Eutrópio explained:

“The first rule to succeed in different countries and situations is to respect the culture and characteristics of the place and adapt them to my working method. Understanding the context is fundamental.

“I always start by observing a lot, listening carefully, and respecting the identity of each group. Then I adjust my communication and leadership so that my message is clear and well-received, without losing my principles.”

When asked about his greatest achievement as a coach so far, he added:

“Achievements can be seen in many ways, from helping to transform a player’s life to winning titles. But I would highlight promotion to Série A with Figueirense, as well as building the Chapecoense team that qualified for the first international tournament in the club’s history and later became South American champions.”

Following his time at Chapecoense, Eutrópio went on to have spells with Bolívar, Guarani, Figueirense, Joinville, Paysandu, Londrina, and Confiança, before taking on the challenge of Paraguayan side Tacuary, where he would go on to perform something of a miracle.

Taking over in October, Tacuary were almost certain to be relegated and play second-tier football in 2024.

After suffering a 2-1 defeat in his first match against Sportivo Ameliano, Eutrópio’s side responded superbly, winning three consecutive matches before earning a draw away from home against Cerro Porteño.

A crucial victory on the final day of the Clausura season against champions Libertad then secured their survival, ensuring Tacuary would be playing top-flight Paraguayan football in 2024.

More recently, the Brazilian coach had a spell with the Brunei national team in 2024, before taking charge of A’Ali SC, a professional side based in northern Bahrain who compete in the country’s Premier League.

Explaining his decision to work with Brunei, he said:

“What attracted me was the opportunity to be head coach of a national team and to work on planning the development of football in the country as a whole, starting from the youth categories.”

On his move to Bahrain, he added:

“First, the positive information about the club and the people who run it. Second, the opportunity to work in a Middle Eastern market that today is a real force in competitive and professional terms.”