Danielzinho thrilled to wear São Paulo shirt for the first time | OneFootball

São Paulo won the battle with rivals Corinthians and officially announced the signing of midfielder Danielzinho, 31 years old, one of the standouts from Mirassol in their surprising campaign in the last Brazilian Championship. The player was announced this Friday (19th) through the club’s social media channels.

In his first statement as a Tricolor player, Danielzinho did not hide his excitement about being at a big club for the first time in his career.

“It’s the fulfillment of a dream, a really great feeling. Having the opportunity to wear a shirt of this weight is a privilege. I’m very happy, because it’s something I once dreamed of,” he said.

Now wearing a top club’s shirt, the player, as expected, is aiming for big things in his new home.

“I’m here to achieve the club’s goals and meet the fans’ expectations. I’ll fight and work for São Paulo to achieve great things,” he added.

The midfielder’s career can be described as ‘quite modest’: revealed by Itapirense, he played for small clubs in the interior of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. His only experience at a big club was in 2013, when he was part of Atlético-MG’s B team.

“The planning and squad-building work for 2026 is underway and we are happy to announce the arrival of Danielzinho, a player who was fundamental to Mirassol’s great campaign in 2025,” said president Julio Casares.

Danielzinho was one of the pillars of Mirassol, the sensation of this year’s Brasileirão: as team captain, he played in 37 out of 38 rounds of the tournament, always as a starter, and was the second outfield player with the most appearances in this year’s competition, as well as being the fourth athlete with the most minutes played: 3,655 minutes throughout the championship.

The midfielder has already completed his medical exams, got to know the facilities at the Barra Funda training center, and will join the squad led by coach Hernán Crespo at the beginning of January, when Tricolor will start preseason.

THE CAREER

Daniel de Oliveira Sertanejo was born in Andradina, in the interior of São Paulo, and began his career at Itapirense, where he made his professional debut at just 16 years old.

Still young, the player played for Marília before joining Atlético-MG, where he completed his development in the youth categories. With the Minas Gerais club, Danielzinho was part of the main squad that won the 2014 Copa do Brasil.

The midfielder also played for Boa Esporte, Paraná, Ferroviária, Oeste, Osasco Audax, Coimbra (MG), and Linense before joining Sampaio Corrêa. With the Maranhão club, he won the 2018 Copa do Nordeste.

In 2019, Danielzinho was transferred to Grêmio Novorizontino, a club he played for over four seasons, achieving two consecutive promotions: from the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D in 2020 and from Série C in 2021.

After a good spell with the Novo Horizonte team, the player joined Mirassol and became one of the key pieces in the club’s project.

In his first season at Mirassol, in 2023, he was a finalist in the Taça Independência – which replaced the Troféu do Interior. The following year, he achieved promotion from Série B to Série A of the Brasileirão.

Then, in 2025, established as one of Mirassol’s leaders, Danielzinho was part of the club’s historic campaign in the top tier of Brazilian football: with 67 points, Mirassol became the best debutant in the Brasileirão in the entire points system era, since 2003, and secured a spot in the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

Over three seasons with the team from the interior of São Paulo, the midfielder played 145 matches before joining Tricolor.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.