# César Sampaio

Carlos César Sampaio Campos (born 31 March 1968), known as César Sampaio, is a Brazilian football pundit, coach and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current assistant coach of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Santos.

## Club career

Born and raised in Jabaquara, a district of São Paulo, César Sampaio was spotted by Lima and invited to join the youth sides of Santos in 1983. He made his first team debut in 1986, and subsequently established himself as a regular starter.
In July 1991, César Sampaio moved to Palmeiras for a fee of US$ 450,000, with Ranielli and Serginho Fraldinha moving in the opposite direction. An undisputed starter, he won several titles at the club.
In 1995, César Sampaio moved abroad and joined J1 League side Yokohama Flügels. In January 1999, after being close to a move to Vasco da Gama, he returned to Palmeiras, being team captain during the club's 1999 Copa Libertadores title.
In July 2000, César Sampaio joined La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruña. Rarely used and struggling with injuries, he returned to Brazil in October 2001, after being presented at Corinthians.
César Sampaio departed Timão on 7 December 2001, and returned to Japan six days later after signing for Kashiwa Reysol. He later represented Sanfrecce Hiroshima and São Paulo FC, retiring with the latter in December 2004, aged 36.

## International career

César Sampaio joined the Brazil national football team during the Copa América in 1993, also took part at the 1995 edition of the tournament (where they finished as runners-up), but was not part of the team during the FIFA World Cup finals in neither 1990 nor 1994.
He was later also part of the Brazilian squad that won both the Copa América and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997, and played for Brazil at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, where he made six appearances in the team's run to the final, which they lost to the hosts of the tournament, France. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, he became remembered for scoring the first goal of the entire tournament in the 4th minute of Brazil's opening match against Scotland, a header from a corner by Bebeto on the left. He also scored a brace in Brazil's 4–1 victory against Chile in the round of 16 during the same tournament.
Sampaio is also remembered for helping Ronaldo when he suffered a convulsive fit in the night before the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.

## Style of play

Sampaio has been described by FIFA.com as a "modern defensive midfielder who combined being an enforcer with playmaking from deep," and as a player who filled the void left by Dunga as the anchor in Brazil's midfield following his retirement after the 1998 World Cup, by dominating "the engine room." He is considered to be one of Palmeiras's greatest players ever.

## Post-playing career

After retiring, César Sampaio worked as a director of football of Pelotas, Rio Claro and Mogi Mirim. On 4 November 2011, he returned to Palmeiras under the same role, departing on 21 January 2013, after the club's relegation.
César Sampaio was named the director of football of Fortaleza on 23 November 2016, but left his role on 3 March of the following year. In January 2015, he became the president of Comercial do Tietê.
On 22 December 2019, César Sampaio left Comercial to join Tite's staff at the Brazil national team, as his assistant. He was a part of the coaching staff during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, leaving with Tite in late 2022.
In October 2023, César Sampaio moved to Flamengo, again as Tite's assistant; the duo left nearly one month later. On 4 January 2025, he returned to his first club Santos, as permanent assistant coach.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | State league | State league | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Santos | 1986 | Série A | 10 | 0 | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Santos | 1987 | Série A | 7 | 0 | 34 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 2 |
| Santos | 1988 | Série A | 15 | 0 | 22 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 1 |
| Santos | 1989 | Série A | 16 | 0 | 22 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 0 |
| Santos | 1990 | Série A | 18 | 1 | 34 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 53 | 2 |
| Santos | 1991 | Série A | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 |
| Santos | Total | Total | 95 | 2 | 134 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 0 | — | — | 234 | 6 |
| Palmeiras | 1991 | Série A | — | — | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 1 |
| Palmeiras | 1992 | Série A | 18 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 45 | 7 |
| Palmeiras | 1993 | Série A | 20 | 2 | 34 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 63 | 6 |
| Palmeiras | 1994 | Série A | 22 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 58 | 3 |
| Palmeiras | Total | Total | 60 | 5 | 101 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 186 | 17 |
| Yokohama Flügels | 1995 | J1 League | 32 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 1 |
| Yokohama Flügels | 1996 | J1 League | 27 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | 43 | 7 |
| Yokohama Flügels | 1997 | J1 League | 29 | 6 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | 40 | 7 |
| Yokohama Flügels | 1998 | J1 League | 28 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| Yokohama Flügels | Total | Total | 116 | 13 | — | — | 11 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 3 | 150 | 17 |
| Palmeiras | 1999 | Série A | 15 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 3 |
| Palmeiras | 2000 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 32 | 4 |
| Palmeiras | Total | Total | 15 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 85 | 7 |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2000–01 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Corinthians | 2001 | Série A | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2002 | J1 League | 26 | 3 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2003 | J2 League | 41 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 45 | 5 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2004 | J2 League | 14 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Total | Total | 55 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 61 | 5 |
| São Paulo | 2004 | Série A | 25 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 |
| Career Total | Career Total | Career Total | 411 | 31 | 254 | 18 | 39 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 47 | 5 | 800 | 56 |
* ↑ Includes Campeonato Paulista
* ↑ Includes Copa do Brasil, Emperor's Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Supercopa Libertadores
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in Torneio Rio–São Paulo
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
* 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in J.League Cup
* ↑ 11 appearances in Copa Libertadores, seven appearances in Copa Mercosur
* ↑ Three appearances in Torneio Rio–São Paulo, one appearance in Intercontinental Cup
* ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana

### International

Brazil national team :
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 |
| 1993 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 10 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 8 | 1 |
| 1998 | 9 | 4 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 47 | 6 |
    Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sampaio goal.
List of international goals scored by César Sampaio :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 9 August 1995 | National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan | Japan | 4–1 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 12 December 1997 | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 3 | 25 March 1998 | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, Germany | Germany | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 10 June 1998 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | Scotland | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 5 | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France | Chile | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 6 | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France | Chile | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |

## Honours
### Club

Palmeiras
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1993, 1994
* Campeonato Paulista: 1993, 1994
* Tournament Rio – São Paulo: 1993, 2000
* Copa Libertadores de América: 1999
* Copa Mercosur runner-up: 1999
* Intercontinental Cup runner-up: 1999
Yokohama Flügels
* Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1995
* Asian Super Cup: 1995
* Emperor's Cup: 1998
Deportivo
* Supercopa de España: 2000
Corinthians
* Campeonato Paulista: 2001

### International

Brazil
* FIFA World Cup Runner-up: 1998
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
* Copa América: 1997

### Individual

* Brazilian Golden Ball: 1990, 1993
* Brazilian Silver Ball: 1990, 1993