Luiz Carlos Sarolli (8 March 1965 – 28 November 2016), known as Caio Júnior or Caio Jr., was a Brazilian football forward and coach.[1]

Caio Júnior
Caio Júnior in 2013
Personal information
Full name Luiz Carlos Sarolli
Date of birth (1965-03-08)8 March 1965
Place of birth Cascavel, Brazil
Date of death 28 November 2016(2016-11-28) (aged 51)
Place of death La Unión, Colombia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1980 Grêmio
1983–1984 Cascavel
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1987 Grêmio 14 (3)
1987–1992 Vitória Guimarães 106 (27)
1992–1994 Estrela Amadora 54 (13)
1994 Internacional 7 (2)
1994–1995 Belenenses 13 (2)
1996 Novo Hamburgo
1997 Paraná 16 (5)
1998 XV de Piracicaba
1998 Lousano Paulista
1998 Iraty
1999 Rio Branco
Total 210 (52)
Managerial career
2002 Paraná
2004 Cianorte
2004 Londrina
2004 Juventude
2005 Cianorte
2005 Gama
2006 Paraná
2007 Palmeiras
2008 Goiás
2008 Flamengo
2009 Vissel Kobe
2009–2011 Al-Gharafa
2011 Botafogo
2012 Grêmio
2012 Al Jazira
2012 Bahia
2013 Vitória
2014 Criciúma
2014–2016 Al Shabab
2016 Chapecoense
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent his 14-year professional career in Brazil and Portugal, notably amassing Primeira Liga totals of 140 games and 31 goals in the latter nation in representation of three teams, mainly Vitória de Guimarães.

Caio Júnior started working as a manager in 2002, going on to be in charge of a host of clubs. In 2016, whilst at the service of Chapecoense, he died in an aviation incident in Colombia.

Playing career edit

Born in Cascavel, Paraná, Caio Júnior's Série A input consisted of 37 games and nine goals combined for Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Sport Club Internacional and Paraná Clube, during four seasons. in 1987 he moved to Portugal where he would remain for the next eight years, starting out at Vitória S.C. in the Minho Province.

Caio Júnior made his debut in the Primeira Liga on 23 August 1987, coming on as a 67th-minute substitute in a 2–2 away draw against Varzim SC. He finished his first season with eight goals from 31 appearances, helping his team to the 14th place[2] as well as the third round of the UEFA Cup.

Having returned to his homeland at the age of 31, and with the exception of Paraná in 1997, Caio Júnior competed exclusively in the lower leagues until his retirement.

Coaching career edit

On 27 February 2014, Caio Júnior was appointed coach of Criciúma Esporte Clube.[3] In June of that year he returned to the UAE Pro League, after signing for Al Shabab in the same capacity.[4]

Caio Júnior reached Associação Chapecoense de Futebol on 25 June 2016.[5] He took the team to the final of the Copa Sudamericana, after disposing of Argentina's San Lorenzo de Almagro on the away goals rule.[6]

Death edit

On 28 November 2016, whilst travelling with Chapecoense to the aforementioned finals, 51-year-old Caio Júnior was among the fatalities of the LaMia Flight 2933 accident in the Colombian village of Cerro Gordo, La Unión, Antioquia.[7][8] Shortly after having reached the decisive match in the competition, he uttered: "If I died tomorrow I'd die a happy man".[9]

Honours edit

Player edit

Grêmio
Vitória Guimarães
Estrela Amadora
Internacional
Paraná

Individual

Coach edit

Al-Gharafa
Al-Jazira
Vitória
Chapecoense

Managerial statistics edit

[12]

Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Vissel Kobe 2009 2009 15 5 2 8 033.33
Chapecoense 2016 2016 37 13 13 11 035.14
Total 52 18 15 19 034.62

References edit

  1. ^ Adeus a Caio Júnior: a conversa com o Maisfutebol em março maisfutebol.iol.pt
  2. ^ "Época 1987/88: Primeira Divisão" [1987/88 season: First Division] (in Portuguese). Arquivos da Bola. 15 July 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Caio Júnior chega ao Criciúma com desejo de 'imitar' Felipão em 91" [Caio Júnior arrives at Criciúma aiming to 'imitate' Felipão in 91]. Fox Sports (in Portuguese). 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Técnico Caio Júnior acerta com clube árabe e vai comandar o Al Shabab" [Coach Caio Júnior agrees with Arab club and will take charge of Al Shabab] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Chapecoense já tem novo treinador: Caio Junior é anunciado pelo clube" [Chapecoense already has new coach: Caio Júnior is announced by club] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Chapecoense empata com San Lorenzo e avança à final da Sul-Americana" [Chapecoense draws with San Lorenzo and advances to the final of the Sudamericana]. Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). 23 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Ex-Jazira, Shabab boss Caio Junior dies in plane crash". Sport 360. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Chapecoense: Brazil plane crash football team 'a fairytale story with tragic ending'". BBC Sport. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  9. ^ "A arrepiante frase de Caio Jr.: "Se morresse amanhã, morria feliz"" [Caio Jr.'s chilling sentence: "If I died tomorrow, I'd die a happy man"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 30 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Atlético Nacional pede que o título da Sul-Americana fique com a Chape" [Atlético Nacional ask that South-American title stay with Chape] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  11. ^ "CONMEBOL otorga el título de campeón de la Sudamericana 2016 a Chapecoense y reconoce a Atlético Nacional con el premio del centenario de la CONMEBOL al Fair Play" [CONMEBOL awards 2016 South American champion title to Chapecoense and bestows Atlético Nacional with CONMEBOL century Fair Play award] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  12. ^ "J. League Data Site" カイオ ジュニオール [Luis Carlos Saroli (CAIO JUNIOR)] (in Japanese). J.League Data. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

External links edit