Fortaleza hires veteran Paulo Autuori as head coach
Brazilian Serie B club Fortaleza dismissed coach Thiago Carpini after 42 matches, ending his spell with 22 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats. The decision came as the team sat fifth with 31 points, trailing the 2018 promotion campaign and struggling in away games.
Fortaleza announced the appointment of 69‑year‑old Paulo Autuori on 24 July. Autuori, who signed a contract through the end of the 2026 season, brings nearly four decades of experience, including Libertadores titles with Cruzeiro and São Paulo and a Club World Cup win in 2005. He arrives from Sporting Cristal in Peru, accompanied by assistant Bernardo Franco and fitness coach Fabio Eiras. The club aims to improve its performance and contend for one of the two direct promotion spots to Serie A.
The new coaching team will take charge ahead of the club's next league match against Botafogo‑SP on 28 July at the Castelão stadium. Autuori replaces Carpini, who had led Fortaleza to an unbeaten state championship, a Copa do Nordeste runner‑up finish and a Copa do Brasil quarter‑final, but could not meet expectations in the league.