Ex-Corinthians star leads Pouso Alegre to historic semi-final

In partnership with

Central do Timão

·16 février 2026

Ex-Corinthians star leads Pouso Alegre to historic semi-final

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

In 2026, former player and Corinthians idol, Danilo, took on his first job as a professional football coach and has been successful so far. This is because he led Pouso Alegre, from Minas Gerais, from the fourth division of the Brasileirão to the semifinals of the local state championship for the first time in history. Last weekend (14th), his team defeated Uberlândia away from home, 2-0, securing a spot in the decisive phase of the tournament.

Throughout the first phase, Pouso Alegre accumulated 13 points, qualifying for the semifinals of the tournament in second place in Group B. In total, there were four wins, one draw, and three losses, along with 14 goals scored and 14 conceded. Seeking a spot in the semifinal, they will face Cruzeiro on the next two Saturdays, February 21 and 28, at 6:30 PM (Brasília time), at Manduzão and Mineirão, respectively.

Vidéos OneFootball

Photo: Gustavo Aleixo/Corinthians

If they qualify, they will face Atlético-MG or América-MG in the final. In the first phase, Pouso Alegre faced Cruzeiro at Mineirão and won by a score of 2-0. It is worth remembering that Cruzeiro is managed by Tite, who has a strong connection with Corinthians and was Danilo's coach during his time at Parque São Jorge.

As a player for Corinthians, Danilo scored 35 goals and provided 36 assists in 359 games (211 as a starter), with 193 wins, 90 draws, and 76 losses – a 62.12% success rate. In total, he also won nine titles: Brazilian Championship (2011, 2015, and 2017), Paulistão (2013, 2017, and 2018), Libertadores (2012), Club World Cup (2012), and Recopa Sudamericana (2013).

Affectionately known as 'Zidanilo', he hung up his boots in 2019 and returned to Alvinegro in 2021 to lead the Corinthians Under-23 team, which was deactivated months later. In January 2022, he was relocated to the Under-20 category and actively participated in the development of Terrão's Sons such as Felipe Longo, Murillo, João Pedro Tchoca, Gabriel Moscardo, Breno Bidon, and Wesley.

In his first year, he was the national and state runner-up in the category, being surpassed by Palmeiras and Santos, respectively, in the finals. With the Under-20, he won the 2024 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior against Cruzeiro, in addition to achieving: 69 wins, 20 draws, and 25 losses. He was dismissed in the middle of the same year after accumulating negative results in the Brasileirão of the category.

See More: