Assistant coach Danilo Fernando Evangelista de Souza celebrated on April 21, 2018 with promotion to the second division, one of many successes in rollercoaster riding through the professional leagues with SC Paderborn. A year later it even went up to the Bundesliga, another year later in summer 2020 back to the 2nd Bundesliga for de Souza and SC Paderborn 07.
© DPA image: Friso Gentsch
17 years ago Danilo de Souza came to the Werler Prussians from Brazil. He was one of the Sugar Loaf players who signed on with the Eagle Bearers. Today the 37-year-old is assistant coach at the second division club SC Paderborn and is part of the coaching staff of head coach Steffen Baumgart.
Paderborn / Werl – In the Prussian project at the time, it was planned that young talented Brazilian footballers would be able to pull on the Prussian jerseys and at the same time present themselves to higher-ranking clubs. The project made headlines nationwide. In addition to numerous daily newspapers, TV stations were also interested in the project and they sent camera teams to the Werler Sportpark. Six players from Brazil were registered with the Prussians. In the end, however, the project failed due to official requirements.
Most of the footballers from the South American country returned to their homeland. But not Danilo de Souza, who began his career in northeast Brazil at Forza Esporte Clube and later continued at SC Corinthians Alagoano, with whom he became Brazilian youth champion.
Sporty trip through Germany and Sweden
Because Danilo still believed in a career in Germany. And the now 37-year-old was hired by the then Bundesliga club Westfalia Rhynern after his engagement at Preußen TV Werl. Danilo convinced in the team of Werler’s team manager Andreas Kersting. An offer from regional league team LR Ahlen followed just one year later. After stints at SV Wehen Wiesbaden, Bonner SC and again Westfalia Rhynern, the former Prussian player received an offer from Scandinavia. In 2011 he joined the Swedish second division team Assyriska FF from Södertälje, for whom he played for almost three years.
Then Danilo returned to the Soest district. He signed a contract with SV Lippstadt. His sporting career ended in 2017 at DSC Arminia Bielefeld. He got to know Markus Krösche, who was still managing director at SC Paderborn at the time. “I talked to him about my idea of football. This resulted in a lot in common, so that I got an offer as an assistant trainer. I thought it was very brave at the time, as I had no experience in this position, ”says the 37-year-old.
Danilo de Souza (left) during training as a supporter of head coach Steffen Baumgart (2nd from right).
© Nitsche
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In this role he has been at the side of coach Steffen Baumgart for almost four years. As Danilo reports, his tasks in the coaching staff are of a diverse nature. “A key factor at the beginning was the video analysis, which for some time now has mainly been taken over by an additional colleague in the coaching team,” said SCP press spokesman Matthias Hack.
“Back then I built up my first good friendships in Germany, which I still maintain today.”
He goes on to say that the team around head trainer Steffen Baumgart is characterized by close cooperation, without individual tasks being assigned to just one person. “The preparation of the training work and the games naturally takes a lot of space,” explains Hack.
Adventure 1st Bundesliga
During his time with the Prussians, Danilo de Souza particularly remembers the derbies against Rot-Weiß Westönnen and SV Welver. From his point of view, the time when he still lived and played in Werl is far away, but the memories are absolutely positive. “Back then I built up my first good friendships in Germany, which I still maintain today,” says de Souza.
The 37-year-old assistant trainer informs himself on the Internet about the results and standings of the teams from the Soest district. “It was some time ago, however, that I was on site,” says Danilo. He describes the past year as an “adventure” when he was on the road with SC Paderborn in the first division. For the former Prussian player, the season was in short: “Beautiful, challenging and very instructive.”
Contract talks in March
The coaching team’s contracts expire at the end of the season. “We will talk to Steffen Baumgart about a further collaboration in March. In this environment, there are also more extensive discussions with the assistant coaches, ”says press spokesman Hack. Danilo sees himself at the beginning of his career and he still wants to gain a lot of experience. “I can basically imagine working as head trainer at a later point in time,” he said in an interview.
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