From Flamengo with Ronaldinho to a passport ban, Wanderley Júnior now coaches for promotion | OneFootball

Wanderley Júnior’s career has been shaped by faith, a Flamengo high alongside Ronaldinho and a 2016 passport ban, and he is now starting out as coach of Paranavaí, a club once backed by singer Gusttavo Lima. According to Globo.com, promotion is the new target.

He broke through at Ponte Preta and reached the 2008 Paulista final, losing to Palmeiras. That form earned a move to Cruzeiro.

Cruzeiro were regulars in the Libertadores and finished runners-up the following year. With chances scarce, he was loaned to Santo André in 2009, then São Caetano and Grêmio Prudente through 2010.

By 22 he had more than 100 games without settling. He credits a daily prayer circle with his wife before joining Flamengo, when two weeks after his agreement Ronaldinho arrived, and he decided Ronaldinho’s debut with a 1-0 winner against Nova Iguaçu.

Six months later Al-Arabi of Qatar made a financially irresistible offer as he competed with Deivid, and he left. He spent 2011 to 2018 in the Middle East.

In 2016 he received a three-month ban for a falsified Indonesian passport. Al-Nasr, who had just signed him, were eliminated from the Asian Champions League quarter-finals, their 3-0 win over El-Jaish ruled a "W.O" and not overturned at home.

Back in Brazil he played for Ponte Preta, Coritiba and Paranavaí. Invited by coach William Sander in 2024, he joined the staff, worked with the youth teams and now leads the side, and will go up if they beat Patriotas in the semi-final.

Source: Globo.com