:Milton Cruz

{{short description|Brazilian football manager and former player}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Milton Cruz

| image = Milton Cruz (2010).JPG

| caption = Milton Cruz with São Paulo in 2010

| fullname = Milton da Cruz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|8|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Cubatão, Brazil

| height = {{height|m=1.79|precision=0}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub = São Paulo (assistant)

| youthyears1 = 1975–1977

| youthclubs1 = São Paulo

| years1 = 1977–1979

| clubs1 = São Paulo

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1980–1982

| clubs2 = Estudiantes Tecos

| caps2 = 31

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 1982–1983

| clubs3 = Nacional

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1983–1985

| clubs4 = Internacional

| caps4 = 6

| goals4 = 2

| years5 = 1985–1986

| clubs5 = Sport Recife

| caps5 = 15

| goals5 = 2

| years6 = 1987

| clubs6 = Catuense

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 1987

| clubs7 = Náutico

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| years8 = 1988

| clubs8 = Yomiuri

| caps8 = 13

| goals8 = 4

| years9 = 1989

| clubs9 = Nissan Motors

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| years10 = 1989–1990

| clubs10 = Botafogo

| caps10 = 12

| goals10 = 4

| years11 = 1990–1992

| clubs11 = Kashima Antlers

| caps11 = 48

| goals11 = 35

| years12 = 1993

| clubs12 = Oklahoma City Slickers

| caps12 = 16

| goals12 = 14

| nationalyears1 = 1984

| nationalteam1 = Brazil Olympic

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1996–2002

| managerclubs1 = São Paulo (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 1999

| managerclubs2 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears3 = 2002

| managerclubs3 = Ittihad (assistant)

| manageryears4 = 2003–2016

| managerclubs4 = São Paulo (assistant)

| manageryears5 = 2005

| managerclubs5 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears6 = 2009

| managerclubs6 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears7 = 2010

| managerclubs7 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears8 = 2011

| managerclubs8 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears9 = 2011

| managerclubs9 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears10 = 2012

| managerclubs10 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears11 = 2013

| managerclubs11 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears12 = 2015

| managerclubs12 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears13 = 2015

| managerclubs13 = São Paulo (interim)

| manageryears14 = 2017

| managerclubs14 = Náutico

| manageryears15 = 2017–2018

| managerclubs15 = Figueirense

| manageryears16 = 2019

| managerclubs16 = Sport Recife

| manageryears17 = 2021–

| managerclubs17 = São Paulo (assistant)

| medaltemplates =

| pcupdate =

| ntupdate =

}}

Milton da Cruz (born 1 August 1957) is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as a forward. He is the current assistant manager of São Paulo.

His career is widely related to São Paulo, club he represented as a player and served as an interim manager on a number of occasions before leaving in 2016.

Club career

Known as Milton in his playing days, he joined São Paulo's youth setup in 1975, being promoted to the first team in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimadivisao.com.br/milton-cruz-atacante-reserva-tecnico-interino/|title=Milton Cruz: atacante reserva, técnico interino|trans-title=Milton Cruz: reserve forward, interim manager|publisher=Úlitma Divisão|language=pt|date=16 April 2015|access-date=22 April 2015}} He subsequently represented Estudiantes Tecos, Nacional Montevideo, Internacional, Sport Recife, Catuense, Náutico, Yomiuri FC, Nissan Motors FC, Botafogo and Kashima Antlers.

In May 1993, Cruz joined Oklahoma City Slickers of the USISL.{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/osu-hires-a-second-sutton/article/2431289|title=OSU Hires a Second Sutton|publisher=NewsOK|date=22 May 1993|access-date=22 April 2015}} He was the club's topscorer, as his side finished third, and subsequently retired at the age of 36.

International career

Cruz appeared with Brazil under-23s at the 1984 Summer Olympics in United States, appearing in three matches only as a substitute.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cr/milton-cruz-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418032619/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cr/milton-cruz-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|title=Mílton Cruz Biography and Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=28 October 2009}}

Coaching career

In 1997 Cruz returned to his first club São Paulo, as an assistant manager. In 1999, after Paulo César Carpegiani's dismissal, he was named interim.

In 2002, Cruz left Tricolor to join Oscar's staff at Ittihad, but returned to the club in the following year. Until his dismissal from the club in March 2016, he worked as an assistant coach, being an interim on nine further occasions.{{cite web|url=https://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/times/sao-paulo/noticia/2016/03/milton-cruz-e-demitido-do-sao-paulo.html|title=Milton Cruz é demitido do São Paulo|trans-title=Milton Cruz is sacked from São Paulo|publisher=GloboEsporte.com|language=pt-BR|date=24 March 2016|accessdate=19 April 2023}}

On 19 February 2017, Cruz had his first experience as a head coach, being named in charge of Náutico.{{cite web|url=https://globoesporte.globo.com/pe/futebol/times/nautico/noticia/2017/02/sob-nova-chefia-milton-cruz-e-o-novo-treinador-do-nautico-para-temporada.html|title=Sob nova chefia: Milton Cruz é o novo treinador do Náutico para a temporada|trans-title=Under new management: Milton Cruz is the new head coach of Náutico for the season|publisher=GloboEsporte.com|language=pt-BR|date=19 February 2017|accessdate=19 April 2023}} He was sacked on 7 May, despite having only three defeats in 12 matches.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com.br/noticia/692742_apos-12-jogos-milton-cruz-e-demitido-no-nautico-e-dispara-o-clube-vive-um-drama-financeiro|title=Após 12 jogos, Milton Cruz é demitido no Náutico e dispara: 'O clube vive um drama financeiro'|trans-title=After 12 matches, Milton Cruz is sacked at Náutico: 'The club lives a financial drama'|publisher=ESPN Brasil|language=pt-BR|date=7 May 2017|accessdate=19 April 2023}}

On 8 August 2017, Cruz was appointed head coach of Figueirense in the Série B,{{cite web|url=https://esportes.r7.com/futebol/milton-cruz-e-anunciado-como-novo-tecnico-do-figueirense-na-serie-b-29062022|title=Milton Cruz é anunciado como novo técnico do Figueirense na Série B|trans-title=Milton Cruz is announced as new head coach of Figueirense in the Série B|publisher=R7.com|language=pt-BR|date=8 August 2017|accessdate=19 April 2023}} but left on 10 September of the following year.{{cite web|url=https://ge.globo.com/sc/futebol/times/figueirense/noticia/apos-pedido-do-tecnico-figueirense-anuncia-a-saida-de-milton-cruz.ghtml|title=Após reunião, Figueirense anuncia que Milton Cruz não é mais técnico do clube|trans-title=After meeting, Figueirense announce that Milton Cruz is no longer head coach of the club|publisher=ge|language=pt-BR|date=10 September 2018|accessdate=19 April 2023}} On 18 December 2018, he was named at the helm of Sport Recife for the upcoming season.{{cite web|url=https://ge.globo.com/pe/futebol/times/sport/noticia/milton-cruz-e-confirmado-como-novo-tecnico-do-sport-para-2019.ghtml|title=Milton Cruz é confirmado como novo técnico do Sport para 2019|trans-title=Milton Cruz is confirmed as new head coach of Sport for 2019|publisher=ge|language=pt-BR|date=18 December 2018|accessdate=19 April 2023}}

On 18 February 2019, after just seven matches, Cruz resigned from Sport.{{cite web|url=https://ge.globo.com/pe/futebol/times/sport/noticia/depois-de-sete-jogos-milton-cruz-pede-demissao-e-deixa-o-sport.ghtml|title=Depois de sete jogos, Milton Cruz pede demissão e deixa Sport|trans-title=After seven matches, Milton Cruz resigns and leaves Sport|publisher=ge|language=pt-BR|date=18 February 2019|accessdate=19 April 2023}} He returned to São Paulo on 9 March 2021, as a technical consultant,{{cite web|url=http://www.saopaulofc.net/noticias/noticias/sao-paulo-fc/2021/3/9/milton-cruz-retorna-ao-sao-paulo-como-assessor-tecnico|title=Milton Cruz retorna ao São Paulo como assessor técnico|trans-title=Milton Cruz returns to São Paulo as a technical consultant|publisher=São Paulo FC|language=pt-BR|date=9 March 2021|accessdate=19 April 2023}} being later named Rogério Ceni's assistant on 19 October.{{cite web|url=https://ge.globo.com/futebol/times/sao-paulo/noticia/noticias-spfc-sao-paulo-milton-cruz.ghtml|title=Milton Cruz deixa Cotia para ser auxiliar de Rogério Ceni no São Paulo|trans-title=Milton Cruz leaves Cotia to become an assistant of Rogério Ceni at São Paulo|publisher=ge|language=pt-BR|date=19 October 2021|accessdate=19 April 2023}}

Club statistics

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Season ! Club ! League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \|Japan ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Emperor's Cup ! colspan=2 \| J.League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Total
1987/88	rowspan="2"\|Yomiuri	rowspan="2"\|JSL Division 1	8	4	0	0	0	0	8	4
1988/89	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
1990/91	rowspan="2"\|Sumitomo Metal	rowspan="2"\|JSL Division 2	24	22	colspan="2"
\|2	1	26	23
1991/92	24	13	colspan="2"
\|1	0	25	13
1992	Kashima Antlers	J1 League	colspan="2"
\|0	0	9	2	9	2
rowspan=1\| Country	colspan=2\| Japan !61\|\|39\|\|0\|\|0\|\|12\|\|3\|\|73\|\|42
colspan=3\|Total !61\|\|39\|\|0\|\|0\|\|12\|\|3\|\|73\|\|42