In 2000, one of the greatest defensive midfielder in the history of Brazilian football was picked as manager by Kashima Antlers: Toninho Cerezo, who as a player represented Brazil in two FIFA World Cups. He had also played in Italy and had won back-to-back Toyota Cups with São Paulo FC late in his career.
In his first year in Japan, Cerezo guided the team to a treble, as Antlers won the league, the league cup and the Emperor’s Cup. They also won again the league in 2001 and the league cup in 2002, to add even more trophies to Kashima’s cabinet.
The ever-smiling Brazilian manager helped young talents such as Mitsuo Ogasawara and Koji Nakata to maximize their potential, and built a solid foundation for Kashima, helping them to became a successful team across the years.
However, he could not win any title in 2003 and in the two following seasons, and left the club at the end of the 2005. After managing several clubs in Brazil, Saudi Arabia and UAE, he returned to Kashima in 2013.
Again, he was unable to bring home any title for two consecutive seasons in 2013 and 2014, and left the club in the middle of the 2015 season, as Antlers were struggling to meet expectations.
In total Toninho Cerezo was in charge at Kashima for eight and a half seasons, the longest period in the history of the club for a manager. He won five titles and 141 league matches.
