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CARLOS ALBERTO SILVA
Date of Birth: 14 August, 1939
Nationality: Brazil
Period at Deportivo: 1997 (February) - 1997 (October)
Titles conquered: -
Clubs Trained: Atlético Mineiro (2005), América FC (2004), Santa Clara (2002-2003), Guarani (2000-2002), Santos (1999-2000), Guarani (1998-1999), Goiás (1997-1998), Deportivo (1997), Palmeiras (1995-1996), Corinthians (1994-1995), Cruzeiro (1993-1994), FC Porto (1991-1992), Yomiuri Kawasaki (1990-1991), São Paolo (1989-1990), Brazil (1987-1988), Cruzeiro (1986-1987), Sport Recife (1985-1986), Santa Cruz (1983-1984), Atlético Mineiro (1981-1982), São Paolo (1980-1981), Guarani (1978-1979)
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Unknown to many, Deportivo had a Brazilian coach at the end of the 1990s who accepted the difficult job of following up unpopular coach John Toshack. CARLOS ALBERTO SILVA took up the challenge and, with a handful of Brazilians in his squad, finished third in Spain. But despite the growth of the Brazilian legion in the summer of 1997, disappointing results led to his departure.
It was no coincidence that Silva met compatriots in the dressing room in February 1997. Lendoiro had dug up gold with Mauro Silva and Bebeto in 1992 and later successfully added Donato, Rivaldo and Flávio Conceição to them. Less successful, but still Brazilian, was striker Renaldo. All of them, except Bebeto, were part of the squad which was handed over to Silva. Of course, Silva knew how to work with Brazilian players because he had been coach of none less than eight Brazilian clubs and of the Brazilian national team for one year. Furthermore, he had gained experience abroad by spells in Japan and at FC Porto.
Most importantly, before signing at Deportivo, Silva was coach of Palmeiras (1995-1996); the club producing top players like mad in the mid-nineties. So, Rivaldo and Flávio Conceição already knew him. Palmeiras, sponsored by Parmalat between 1992-2000, won the Campeonato Paulista in 1993, 1994 and 1996 and the Campeonato Brasileiro in 1993 and 1994. . In 1992 players like Zinho (1994 World Champion), Evair, Edmundo, Roberto Carlos (Internazionale, Real Madrid later), César Sampaio (who in 2000 joined Deportivo) and Antonio Carlos (Roma later) were contracted. In 1996, under coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, the team loses just once in thirty matches of the Campeonato Paulista and scores 130 goals. Numbers not known since the era of Pelé. Part of this team are Rivaldo, Cafú, Flávio Conceição, Luizão, Amaral and Müller.
In 1978, Silva already had won the Campeonato Brasileiro with Guarani (against Palmeiras). He won the League and Cup in Japan, the Portuguese League and Supercup with FC Porto and with them also conquers the Trofeo Teresa Herrera in 1991. In Brazil, Japan and Portugal he was five times picked as Best Coach. Enough luggage, one would say, for the Spanish Liga de las Estrellas.
When Silva took over, Deportivo were fourth in Spain at respectively fifteen, nine and five points of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Betis Sevilla. Early May, the team had taken won ten times and lost just once in twelve matches, including a winning serie of six in a row. Betis were caught and Barcelona, with players like Vitor Baia, Guardiola, Ronaldo, Luís Enrique, Sergi and Figo, were in sight again. Hadn’t Real Madrid been playing an impressive season with one defeat until that moment, Depor’s numbers look liked a champion again. The Samba football was back in Riazor and Rivaldo scored twelve goals in those twelve matches. However, with the end of a long season of 42 Liga matches near, Deportivo stumbled to the end. Rivaldo had no bullets anymore, and Depor scored just two goals in the six remaining matches. Only a narrow 1-0 home win against Extramadura on the final day of the season secured the third place on goal difference with Betis Sevilla.
From June 1997 on, Lendoiro kept on collecting ex-Palmeiras players. This time playmaker Djalminha (26) and striker Luizão (21) arrived in Galicia for a combined €14 million. Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona were watching how Deportivo now could field a team with Zamora-winning Songo’o, Naybet (who was wanted by Real Madrid), internationals Armando (Spain) and Bonnissel (France), powerful Brazilians Mauro Silva, Flávio Conceição and Donato in midfield, playmakers Fran, Martins, Djalminha and Rivaldo, and upfront the new addition of Luizão.
But there was still no evidence that Deportivo could do without the goals of Rivaldo. In the year before, the team had ‘only’ scored 57 goals in 42 matches of which more than one-third was scored by him. The consequence of this Rivaldo-dependencia is well-known: close to the start of the Liga 1997/1998, Barcelona used the money of the Ronaldo-sale to pay Rivaldo’s buy-out clause of €25,5 million. Rumours were already spreading that this would happen when exactly that night a penalty of Rivaldo won his club the Teresa Herrera edition of 1997. RIvaldo simply was gone and there was no time left to find a replacement.
The fairytale became a nightmare. After six matches in the Liga the team was fifteenth and had only won once, despite three goals of Luizão. In four of these matches, Depor scored just two goals. Well, one in fact (by defender Hélder) as Mallorca scored an own goal in Riazor. But Liga results can still be fixed with thirty-two matches remaining. Not UEFA Cup football though, as French side Auxerre eliminated Depor already in the first round of the tournament. After the 1-3 home loss against Valladolid, their first points of the season, Carlos Alberto Silva was sacked. According to Deportivo this was by “mutual agreement”. President Lendoiro added that “it had nothing to do with the match against Valladolid. For a while already one could see that things weren’t going the right way. Sometimes it’s time to take decisions, even if they might hurt”. Assistant José Manuel Corral took over and immediately the name of Artur Jorge came up as his possible replacement.
But the goodbye of Silva wasn’t over yet. Deportivo refused to pay him his remaining salary of the season, including bonuses, because he wasn’t dismissed. For his part, Silva now indicated that he wanted to return and a strange situation occurred: he was welcome to do so, and Deportivo even insisted that he would do so within a week, but not as coach of the first team. A game of cat and mouse started between the two sides about money. Silva said he felt “threatened” by the club. “Their offer is ridiculous. I will never allow that someone else makes the line-up. I’m not after money, but I want an end with dignity here”.
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