Arsenal are currently reaping the rewards of Brazilian influence at the club, from executive level to the playing squad.
Technical director Edu Gaspar has helped Mikel Arteta rebuild Arsenal into a title-challenging side, and the former midfielder was one of several Brazilians to thrive under Arsene Wenger during his playing days.
Right now, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are popular players for club and country, with the latter two selected for Brazil’s Copa America squad.
This influx of Brazilian influence in North London all began with one signing Wenger made in 1999, as he signed left-back Sylvinho from Corinthians, and the former Arsenal defender is now thriving in a surprise role as Albania’s manager, heading into their Euro 2024 campaign.
Former Arsenal defender Sylvinho is now managing Albania
Sylvinho made 80 appearances across two seasons for Arsenal before moving to Celta Vigo and eventually Barcelona, where he was an unused substitute in the 2006 Champions League final victory over his old club.
The full-back eventually retired after a brief period at Manchester City in 2010, before moving into management, with unsuccessful spells at French side Lyon and his former club Corinthians.
However, the 50-year-old would find his feet in management with the Albania National Team. He took up the role in January 2023, and his side have flourished since.
They have lost just three of his 13 games in charge, winning their qualification group to reach Euro 2024, and with former Man City defender Pablo Zabaleta as his assistant, he will now lead his side into a tournament aiming to get out of a tough group including Italy, Spain and Croatia.
How Sylvinho helped Arsene Wenger Arsenal revolution
Wenger brought Sylvinho to Arsenal in 1999, and he made history as the first Brazilian to ever wear the famous red and white of Arsenal. With the likes of Edu, Gilberto Silva and David Luiz following in his footsteps, he was the torchbearer for Brazilian players to grace the pitch at Highbury and the Emirates Stadium.
The Frenchman brought Sylvinho, an attacking left-back, to Arsenal to revolutionise his defence. He wanted a more dynamic option to make his full-back options less predictable, and Sylvinho did just that.
“I like the way you play football,” Wenger told Sylvinho shortly before he signed him.
He only spent two years at Arsenal, but he was a popular figure among the fans because of his speed and attacking prowess, with an iconic goal against Chelsea living long in the memory, before he paved the way for Ashley Cole to become the first-choice left-back.
Sylvinho taking inspiration from Arsene Wenger in his managerial career
Speaking in March, the Brazilian revealed that he took inspiration from Wenger when heading into management, with the Frenchman having a huge impact on his footballing journey.
“Outside Brazil, my first manager was Arsene Wenger. I learnt a lot from him, he was a person of a very high level in terms of management, education, football and vision,” he stated of his old coach.
Although a manager like some of Wenger’s former stars including Arteta, Sylvinho has admitted that whilst he is occasionally in contact with the Frenchman, he does not regularly go to him for advice.
“Part of being respectful is not sending loads of messages to these guys,” he told the Guardian when asked about his coaching inspirations.
Sylvinho will lead Albania into Euro 2024 knowing that whilst they are up against it in their group, anything is possible as they bid to make history at the tournament.
Arsenal players and transfer targets at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode of Cannon Fire – The Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discuss the European Championships. With 11 Arsenal players set to feature at the tournament, the pair debated which players could be fighting for their futures, and which are destined to succeed on the international stage.