New Operário technical coach claims "bonitão" fame hindered his career

Alberto Valentim no Operário arrives accompanied not only by the expectation for the performance of the Phantom in the decisive line of the Serie B, but also by a curiosity that has gained national repercussion in recent days. The new Alvinegro commander recently revealed that the fame of "beautiful" in football has even disrupted his career as a coach.

Valentine was chosen by the Operário Ferroviário to replace Luizinho Lopes in the technical command. The deal foresees contract until the end of the 2027 season, indicating an attempt by the Alvinegra board to build a more lasting job on Ponta Grossa.

“Bonitão” took focus from work, says Valentine

In a recent interview with Charla Podcast, Alberto Valentim said that he took too long to believe that comments about his appearance could interfere with the way his work was evaluated in football.

According to the coach, the fame of "cute" gained strength especially during his time with Vasco. Valentim stated that the repercussion around his appearance ended up diverting part of the attention from the results presented on the field.

“I never wanted to believe it, but I’ve already said it publicly, the fact that I’m the handsome guy on the pitch has gotten in the way for a while,” the coach said in the interview. According to him, the situation ended up taking part of the focus of his work.

Valentine also recalled that Alexandre Faria, then leader of the Basque, came to alert him on the subject. In the coach’s assessment, the good performance of the team ended up sharing space with the comments about their appearance.

Results in Vasco were in the background

The passage cited by Valentine occurred between 2018 and 2019. Under the command of the coach, Vasco managed to escape the relegation in the 2018 Brazilian Championship and, the following year, won the Guanabara Cup in an undefeated way.

Now, at 51 years old, Alberto Valentim begins a new chapter of his career precisely in the Operário Ferroviário.

The last job of the coach had been at América-MG, a club he left in April 2026. Throughout his career, he has also led teams such as Palmeiras, Botafogo, Vasco, Athletico Paranaense, Cuiabá, Avaí, Atlético-GO, Ituano, Ponte Preta and CSA.

From the “pretty” to the ghost challenge

In Paraná, Valentine has a weight gain in the curriculum. He was ahead of the Athletico Paranaense in the 2021 Copa Sul-Americana title, when Hurricane defeated the Red Bull Bragantino in the decision disputed in Montevideo.

The mission will now be to retrieve the Worker at a decisive moment in the Series B.

Valentine takes over after the departure of Luizinho Lopes, shut down after the 2-1 defeat to Botafogo-SP, in turn, in Germano Krüger. The new coach arrives with a contract planned until December 2027 and with the responsibility of conducting a project that aims to keep the Ghost competitive in the search for access to the Série A.

If in the past the nickname of “beautiful” bothered and, according to him, went so far as to divert the spotlight from professional performance, in Ponta Grossa the expectation of the fans will be another: that Alberto Valentim be remembered mainly for the results presented in front of the Phantom.