Nelsinho moved to São Paulo in 1971, being a regular starter as the club won the 1975 Campeonato Paulista. He played 267 matches for the club during his six-and-a-half-year spell, scoring five goals.[2][3]
In 1977, Nelsinho signed for Santos, making his debut on 6 November of that year in a 1–0 home loss to Botafogo-SP. A starter, he won the 1978 Campeonato Paulista and featured in 80 matches during the 1979 campaign, being the most utilized player of the squad during that year.[4]
Nelsinho joined Juventus in 1981, and retired in the end of the 1984 season, at the age of 34.[3]
Coaching career
Shortly after retiring, Baptista took up coaching and was appointed São Bento head coach for the 1985 season.[5] He subsequently had short spells at the helm of Ponte Preta and Mogi Mirim[6] before taking over Inter de Limeira in 1986 in the place of Lori Sandri.[7]
Sacked by the Colombian side in April 1989,[9] Baptista was named at the helm of América-SP after a short spell back at São Bento; at América, his fitness coach was Vadão.[10] In 1990, he led Novorizontino to the finals of the 1990 Campeonato Paulista against Bragantino, which was known as the Final Caipira.[11]
In 1992, Baptista returned to Corinthians after replacing Basílio, but was sacked in August 1993 after losing the 1993 Torneio Rio-São Paulo finals to his former side Palmeiras. He subsequently worked abroad, managing Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Verdy Kawasaki in Japan, before returning to his home country in 1996 with Internacional.
After being named head coach of Portuguesa for the 2000 campaign, Baptista resigned from the club on 3 June of that year.[17] He returned to Ponte on 4 August,[18] but was dismissed by the club on 29 May 2001, after he had agreed to a contract with São Paulo.[19]
Baptista announced his departure from Tricolor on 25 April 2002,[20] and signed for Goiás on 28 August.[21] On 21 March 2003, he was announced as head coach of Flamengo,[22] but resigned on 17 July.[23]
Four days after leaving Flamengo, Baptista took over São Caetano,[24] but left the club in July 2003 after accepting an offer from Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight.[25]
Sacked by Nagoya Grampus on 19 September 2005,[26] Baptista took over Santos twelve days later,[27] but was also dismissed on 20 November, after six winless matches which included a 7–1 loss to rivals Corinthians and a 4–0 loss to Internacional.[28] He returned to São Caetano on 14 December,[29] but was relieved from his duties on 1 June 2006.[30]
Baptista returned to Ponte for a fourth spell as head coach in 2007, but was sacked on 23 September of that year.[31] Two days later, he returned to Corinthians,[32] but was dismissed on 4 December, after failing to prevent the club's first-ever relegation.[33]
Baptista was appointed Sport Recife head coach on 10 December 2007,[34] and won the 2008 Copa do Brasil with the club.[35] On 28 May 2009, he resigned after having altercations with the squad.[36]
On 16 July 2009, Baptista returned to Japan to manage Kashiwa Reysol.[37] Despite being unable to avoid relegation to J2 League at the end of the year, the club relented and allowed him to remain in charge. In 2011, Reysol under him won their first ever J1 League title, making history by becoming the first team to win the championship following promotion.[38] In the same year, Nelsinho Baptista received the J. League Manager of the Year at the J. League awards in Yokohama.[39]
Baptista switched Reysol for Vissel Kobe in the end of the 2014 season, being sacked from the latter on 16 August 2017.[40] He returned to Sport on 13 December,[41] but announced his departure from the club the following 24 April.[42]
On 16 November 2018, Baptista agreed to return to Reysol after signing a three-year contract.[43] The club announced his departure on 17 May 2023, with Masami Ihara taking his place.[44]
On 29 May 2024, Baptista returned to Ponte after 17 years, replacing João Brigatti at the helm of the club.[45] On 21 October, after a 1–0 loss to rivals Guarani, he resigned.[46]
Personal life
Baptista's son Eduardo is also a coach;[47] both worked together for several years until 2011, when Eduardo returned to Brazil while Nelsinho remained in Japan.[48]
^"Quinze anos do título de 88" [Fifteen years from the title of 88] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Furacão.com. 29 July 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Dispensa" [Release] (PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Jornal do Brasil. 6 April 1989. p. 23. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Monte Azul se despede do técnico Vadão" [Monte Azul bids farewell from head coach Vadão] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário da Região. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Nelsinho pede demissao da Portuguesa" [Nelsinho resigns from Portuguesa] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário do Grande ABC. 3 June 2000. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Goiás fecha com Nelsinho Baptista" [Goiás sign with Nelsinho Baptista] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Tribuna do Paraná. 28 August 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Nelsinho sai; Tite chega ao São Caetano" [Nelsinho leaves; Tite arrives at São Caetano] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário do Grande ABC. 29 July 2003. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"Sai Gallo e entra Nelsinho no Santos" [Gallo out and Nelsinho in at Santos] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Gazeta News. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
