Celso Roth is now taking some time to think. Since he started working as a football coach more than three decades ago, he hasn’t stopped. At this time, he has been out of work for more than six years. Celso also like to see things optimistically but while enjoying his family, he considers his job and profession.
His most recent job included demoralizing stays at Vasco and Inter, which came to an end in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with the teams being relegated to the second tier. He remains steadfast in his devotion to his job, however, and has no plans to step down just yet.
“What excluded me was the market. It bothers me that I do what I do with a lot of attitude and clarity. I’m a really organized and disciplined person. But I’ll be right back.”
In fact, Celso earned the nickname “fire extinguisher” for saving renowned Brazilian football teams from dire circumstances. Is there any regret about accepting these challenges?
“Though I don’t regret anything, I do need to apologize. I quit working the regional championships and started competing just in the national ones.”
Former player Celso and the various passages in the South
The fact that Celso Roth played football professionally is not well recognized. He worked at Juventude for a very limited period of time from 1975 to 1978. He was successful at a period when first-team players under the age of 18 weren’t common.
“In the past, being in the core group at 16 or 17 was rare, as it was for me. I stopped participating in sports because of a severe patellar tendon injury.”
Since his playing career had to be placed on hold, Celso decided to focus on finishing his Physical Education course in order to continue playing football. He started out as a physical trainer before learning about the profession he would pursue for the following years: football coach.
Rio Grande do Sul native Celso had the privilege of often working with the Grenal duo. He said that due to the superb work done there, these teams always have a possibility of returning and that the competition “heats up” the fans’ fervour.
“I am a gaucho.” I think there are more ardent fans of the derby here, only for the sake of some localization.
The satisfaction of knowing Brazil through football
Celso, though, clearly contributed outside of the Grenal pair. He even served as the head coach of almost every team regarded as a “giant” in Brazilian football. Considering the states of Rio, Minas, Sao Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul, he only missed Fluminense, Sao Paulo, and Corinthians.
“Working in a variety of places provides us a vast amount of information, and I have to use it when I come back to work,” said the employee.
Celso played for Atlético-MG twice, in 2003 and 2009, and for Vasco da Gama three times, in 2007, 2010, and 2015. These clubs weren’t organized the way they are now while he was working there.
Galo recently won a number of championships, while Vasco became SAF even in Série B.
Vasco followed the SAF’s lead, whereas Atletico has been organized since 2003 and boasts one of the top training facilities in the world.
“Galo’s most recent victories pleased me, and I’m hoping that Vasco’s excellence will lead to the club’s return to Serie A.”, he added.
Celso did not forget to mention the outstanding celebrities he claims to have had the “honour” to work and interact with. Romário, who he regarded as a “genius of Brazilian football,” is the example in point.
However, Celso names Ronaldinho Gacho as the best player he has had the good fortune to manage so far. Ronaldo joined Grêmio at the age of 16, and even at that young age, he was already a celebrity.
“I worked with many stars, but I would place Ronaldinho Gacho on a somewhat higher level.”
About the next generation of coaches and expectations for the Cup
According to Roth, the next generation of coaches will need a lot of perseverance and patience to continue working in the field. For him, the directors in Brazil simply consider the outcomes.
“These new instructors must be very persistent. In this case, just the outcome is assessed; the labour is not.”
According to Celso, the Brazilian team’s current lineup, led by Tite, started to take shape during the 2010 World Cup, which was held in South Africa. He gave the coaching staff kudos for their efforts, but if he were the coach, he would make some adjustments.
“The next World Cup group in Brazil is expected to be the same as the last one, and I believe we have players with a greater physical profile than those present who may be employed.”
Despite this, Celso declares he will be pulling for the victory, which would be fantastic for everyone associated with Brazilian football.
The whole interview is available to see on our YouTube page and in the video up above.
