Elano: ‘It’s not money, it’s passion. It has made me see how beautiful football is’

10-Jun-2022 09:12:52 | The Guardian

Former Brazil midfielder opens up on coaching in his country’s fourth tier and his regrets at leaving Manchester City

The former Brazil international Elano spent a glamorous 15-year playing career with teams such as Santos, Manchester City, Grêmio, Flamengo and Shakhtar Donetsk. High wages, powerful club infrastructures and stadiums packed with vibrant fans seemed worthy reward for the midfielder’s accurate passes and tackles, and his calming, reassuring presence.

But the 40-year-old has left all that behind – and happily so. Until late March Elano was the coach of Ferroviária, a fourth-division Brazilian club who play to a few thousand fans in Araraquara, a bucolic orange-juice-exporting town in the São Paulo state countryside. Elano has coached since late 2016 but jobs with three clubs, including Santos, had never taken him below the second tier.