Alexsandro de Souza, commonly known as Alex, has been appointed as the fresh head coach of Athletic-MG, effective immediately, the Brazilian football club confirmed on Sunday. The move marks a return to management for the former attacking midfielder, who most recently coached Operário Ferroviário until 2026.
Alex’s career as a player spanned nearly two decades, with notable stints at Coritiba, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, and a highly successful period with Turkish side Fenerbahçe, where he became the club’s all-time leading foreign goalscorer with 136 goals in 245 appearances. He similarly earned 48 caps for the Brazilian national team between 1998 and 2005, winning the Copa América in 1999 and 2004, captaining the squad to victory in the latter tournament. Despite his distinguished international career, Alex never participated in a FIFA World Cup.
Prior to taking the helm at Athletic-MG, Alex held managerial positions at São Paulo U20, Avaí, and Antalyaspor. His appointment comes after a period of instability at the Belo Horizonte club, with the team seeking to regain its competitive edge in Brazilian football.
Alexsandro Nascimento, a computer scientist with a Bachelor of Computer Science from USP – Universidade de São Paulo, and currently working at GLOBAL HITSS, shares the same surname as the footballer but is not directly related to the sporting figure, according to LinkedIn profiles.
The Brazilian Football Confederation has not yet commented on Alex’s appointment. Athletic-MG is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to formally introduce Alex as their new coach and outline the club’s plans for the upcoming season.
