Photo: sfmission.com / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Joel Santana is listed as an association football player and association football coach. Born on December 25, 1948, Joel Santana is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The age as of 2026 is 77.
My Take
Joel Santana feels like pure Rio de Janeiro warmth transplanted onto the touchline. A homegrown Brazilian who went from playing to a long coaching life, he's the kind of grizzled tactician who has seen every corner of the domestic game and still managed big names like Vasco da Gama. He's perhaps best remembered abroad for his stint with South Africa's national team, where his struggles with English turned press conferences into affectionate comedy. I find that endearing rather than embarrassing. There's something deeply likable about a man who keeps bellowing passion in Portuguese, decade after decade, refusing to let the years cool his love for the game.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Joel Santana
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョエル・サンタナ
- Reading
- じょえる・さんたな
- Born
- December 25, 1948 (age 77)
- Origin
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rat
2. Links
3. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Joel Santana born?
Born December 25, 1948 (age 77).
Where is Joel Santana from?
Joel Santana is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What does Joel Santana do?
Joel Santana works as association football player, association football coach.
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