Photo: sfmission.com / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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.
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)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rat
- Origin
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
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.
Association football player — see all → · Association football coach — see all → · More people from Brazil →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
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.