Having retired from a successful playing career in 1998, Branco has taken a slow and considered route into management, first overseeing Brazil’s youth development programme, then spending two years in charge of the youth setup of Rio de Janeiro giants Fluminense.
The 1994 World Cup winner will immediately have a tough task on his hands for next season, with the first task to stop the flow of talent out the exit door that has tarnished the season’s success somewhat.
Now 47, Branco will be remembered by many in England for his brief, unsuccessful spell with Middlesborough in 1996, at the same time as his countrymen Juninho Paulista and Emerson.
