Cuca (footballer, born 1963)

Alexi Stival (born 7 June 1963), known as Cuca (Portuguese pronunciation:[kukɐ]), is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of Santos.

Cuca played as a forward, winning Campeonato Gaúcho titles for Grêmio and Internacional, while also featuring for Palmeiras and Santos, among others. He made one appearance for the Brazil national team in 1991.

Since his retirement, Cuca has been the head coach of a number of clubs, mostly in his native country. He has led nine of the Big 12, winning the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with Palmeiras in 2016 and Atlético Mineiro in 2021, and also lifting the 2013 Copa Libertadores with the latter.

Personal life

Born in Curitiba, Paraná, Cuca started playing football to help cover the expenses of a heart surgery for his father Dirceu. His nickname Cuca was created by his older brother Amauri: their parents used to mock Amauri when the boy was fooling around by saying that the city's police officer, nicknamed Cucla, would catch him on the act; once the little brother arrived at home and was described as "very handsome" by their mother, Amauri, in an attempt to mock his brother, called him Cuca in a reference to the police officer Cucla, not knowing that his nickname had an L.

Cuca is married to Rejane since 1985, and has two daughters, Maiara and Natasha. He is a practising Roman Catholic. Cuca's younger brother Cuquinha was also a footballer; a midfielder, he only had a short career before starting to work as his assistant in 1999. Their elder brother, Amauri, was a central defender who also played professionally.

On 7 November 2020, while coaching Santos, Cuca tested positive for COVID-19, being immediately transferred to the Hospital Sírio-Libanês.

Rape claims and conviction

In 1987, while playing a tournament in Switzerland with Grêmio, Cuca and three other teammates (Eduardo Henrique Hamester, Henrique Arlindo Etges and Fernando Castoldi), were arrested for 28 days for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in a hotel room in Bern. Two of the players admitted to having sex with the girl, but claimed that the encounter was consensual and that they were unaware that she was underaged; Cuca and the other teammate denied participating. Forensic examination found traces of semen from Cuca and Eduardo on the girl's body, but no evidence of violence, and the four were released on bail and allowed to return to Brazil. Despite Cuca not being initially identified by the accuser as one of the offenders, he was convicted in absentia two years later by a Swiss court to 15 months imprisonment for "engaging in sexual act with a minor and coercion". The sentence was not served and expired in 2004.

In 2023, the girl's attorney, Willi Egloff, said in an interview that the accuser did identify Cuca as one of the offenders. On 28 December of that year, his sentence was voided by the Swiss judicial system without a new judgement, after the judge Bettina Boschler deemed that his case in 1989 led to an "unfair veredict", and the Public Ministry alleged prescription of the crime and suggested the annulment of the sentence.

Playing career

Club

Cuca started his career with Santa Cruz-RS after graduating with hometown side Pinheiros. He moved to Juventude in May 1985, and was a regular starter for the club until his transfer to Grêmio in July 1987.

While at Grêmio, Cuca scored the decisive goal of the 1989 Copa do Brasil Final against Sport Recife. He moved abroad for the first time in his career in August 1990, spending six months at La Liga side Real Valladolid.

Upon returning to Brazil, Cuca joined Grêmio's fierce rivals Internacional on loan. After struggling with injuries, he featured regularly for Palmeiras and Santos.

Cuca was signed by Portuguesa ahead of the 1994 season on loan, but failed to impress. He subsequently represented Remo, Juventude and Chapecoense, retiring with the latter in 1996 at the age of 33.

International

Cuca played one game for the Brazilian national team on 27 February 1991, against Paraguay, at Morenão, Campo Grande.

Coaching career

Early career

Shortly after retiring, Cuca started coaching Uberlândia in 1998. In the following year, he led Avaí to the final of the Campeonato Catarinense, but lost to Figueirense.

Cuca began the 2000 season in charge of Internacional de Limeira, before returning to Avaí in February. Replaced by Roberto Cavalo shortly after, and led Internacional de Lages to a fifth place in the 2001 Catarinense.

On 23 August 2001, Cuca returned to a club he represented as a player, Remo. After leaving the club in October, he immediately took over Criciúma, but only remained in charge of the side until May 2002.

On 16 May 2002, Cuca was named in charge of Gama. Despite only losing one match (to eventual Campeonato Brasiliense champions CFZ de Brasília), he left in July after discovering the club was looking for a new head coach for the Série A.

On 1 March 2003, Cuca was appointed Paraná head coach. He led the club to a good start in the 2003 Série A, winning three of the club's first six matches in the competition.

Goiás

On 26 May 2003, Cuca was appointed head coach of Goiás also in the top tier. He gained notoriety with the club after taking them in the last position and avoiding relegation by finishing ninth.

São Paulo

On 17 December 2003, Cuca was appointed head coach of São Paulo in the place of Roberto Rojas. He was dismissed the following 2 September, after being knocked out of the year's Copa Libertadores in the semifinals by Once Caldas and dropping to the seventh place in the league.

Despite being unable to repeat the same success achieved at Goiás, Cuca is often credited for helping to assemble a part of the squad which later won the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup, being the one to suggest the signings of Fabão, Danilo and Grafite, players who worked with him at Goiás and subsequently became regular starters at the Tricolor.

Grêmio

Eight days after leaving São Paulo, Cuca was named head coach of Grêmio, a club he notably represented as a player. He resigned from the club on 27 October, after three wins in 11 matches; his successor Cláudio Duarte was unable to avoid the club's first-ever relegation.

Flamengo

On 3 February 2005, Cuca replaced Júlio César Leal at the helm of Flamengo, He was dismissed on 15 April, after a 2–0 Copa do Brasil loss to Ceará and a 4–1 loss to Fluminense in the Taça Rio final.

Coritiba

On 6 May 2005, Cuca returned to his hometown and was appointed Coritiba head coach. He was sacked on 12 October, after three consecutive losses.

São Caetano

On 9 November 2005, Cuca appointed in charge of São Caetano, also in the first division. Despite losing his first match, he did not lose any of the remaining four matches of the year and managed to avoid relegation, but was still sacked on 13 December.

Botafogo

On 22 May 2006, Cuca was presented as the new Botafogo head coach. He resigned on 28 September 2007, but returned to the role on 7 October after the departure of Mário Sérgio.

Cuca resigned for a second time on 29 May 2008, after being eliminated from the 2008 Copa do Brasil on penalties.

Santos

On 2 June 2008, Cuca was appointed head coach of another club he represented as a player, Santos. He made his debut in charge of the club in a 1–0 away loss to Vitória six days later, and only won his first match in charge on 20 July, a 1–0 win over Sport Recife eight rounds later; in the previous round, after a loss to Figueirense, he initially resigned, but was later convinced to remain in the role.

Cuca had his resignation accepted by Peixe on 7 August 2008, after a 3–2 home loss to Atléico Mineiro which left the club seriously threatened with relegation.

Fluminense

Four days after leaving Santos, Cuca was confirmed as head coach of Fluminense, replacing Renato Gaúcho. He won his first two matches in charge, but later went on to enter a seven-winless run (which included a 2–1 to former side Santos) which led to his dismissal on 2 October 2008.

Flamengo return

On 12 December 2008, Cuca returned to Flamengo after being named head coach for the ensuing campaign. He won the 2009 Campeonato Carioca – his first title as head coach – by defeating Botafogo on penalties, but was relieved from his duties the following 23 July.

Fluminense return

Cuca returned to Flu on 1 September 2009, again in the place of Renato Gaúcho. Under a mathematical threat of relegation of 99%, he led the side to a run of 11 matches unbeaten in the league, which included six consecutive wins, and avoided relegation in the last round; the club also reached the 2009 Copa Sudamericana finals, but lost to LDU Quito.

On 19 April 2010, after being knocked out in the semifinals of the 2010 Campeonato Carioca, Cuca was sacked from Fluminense.

Cruzeiro

On 8 June 2010, Cuca was named head coach of Cruzeiro. He led the club to a second place in the league, two points shy of champions and former club Fluminense.

Cuca also won the 2011 Campeonato Mineiro with the club, defeating rivals Atlético Mineiro 3–2 on aggregate. On 19 June of that year, however, after a run of five winless matches, he left and was replaced by Joel Santana.

Atlético Mineiro

On 8 August 2011, Cuca was announced as new head coach of Cruzeiro's rivals Atlético Mineiro, replacing Dorival Júnior. He won the 2012 Campeonato Mineiro and also lifted the 2013 Copa Libertadores, the club's first-ever continental title.

On 18 December 2013, after a 3–1 defeat to Raja Casablanca in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup semifinals, Cuca was dismissed.

Shandong Luneng

On 21 December 2013, just three days after being sacked by Galo, Cuca was appointed at the helm of Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng. He announced his departure from the club on 6 December 2015, after winning the Chinese FA Cup and the Chinese FA Super Cup.

Palmeiras

On 14 March 2016, Cuca replaced Marcelo Oliveira at the helm of high-spending Palmeiras. He led the club to a Série A title after 22 years, but opted to resign on 30 November, alleging "personal reasons".

Cuca returned to Verdão on 5 May 2017, replacing fired Eduardo Baptista and signing a contract until the end of 2018. On 13 October, he was himself dismissed, with his assistant Alberto Valentim taking his place.

Santos return

On 30 July 2018, Cuca was appointed head coach of Santos for the second time. He took the club out of the relegation zone, but left after finishing in a disappointing tenth position due to a health problem.

São Paulo return

On 14 February 2019, Cuca agreed to a two-year contract with São Paulo, effective as of 15 April due to his heart condition. He resigned on 26 September, and was replaced by then coordinator Vagner Mancini.

Third spell at Santos

Cuca returned to Santos for a third spell on 7 August 2020. He led the club to the final of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, despite being under severe financial issues (also dealing with a transfer ban), but lost the title to rivals Palmeiras, being sent off late in the game.

On 3 February 2021, Cuca announced his departure from Santos at the end of the season when his contract expired, alleging 'mental exhaustion'. His departure was officially announced by the club on 21 February, after qualifying the club to the 2021 Libertadores.

Atlético Mineiro return

2021

On 5 March 2021, Cuca agreed to a two-year deal with Atlético Mineiro, returning to the club after seven years. He led the side to one of the most successful seasons in their history, winning the domestic treble and ending a 50-year streak since their last Campeonato Brasileiro title. He also equaled Levir Culpi's record as Atlético's most decorated head coach, with six titles.

On 28 December 2021, Cuca departed Galo for personal reasons.

2022

On 23 July 2022, Cuca returned to Atlético, signing a four-month contract. He left on a mutual agreement on 14 November, after only 21 matches.

Corinthians

On 20 April 2023, Cuca was announced as the new head coach of Corinthians, with a contract until the end of the year. Seven days later, however, he resigned from the role, citing personal reasons related to his sexual assault arrest in Switzerland in 1987. His hiring was almost immediately criticized by pundits, fans, and even the Corinthians women's team, citing the 1987 incident as inadmissible behavior by any member of the club.

Athletico Paranaense

On 4 March 2024, Cuca was announced as head coach of Athletico Paranaense. He asked to leave the club on 23 June, and his resignation was accepted by the board the following day.

Fourth spell at Atlético Mineiro

On 29 December 2024, Cuca returned to Galo for his fourth spell as a coach. He won the 2025 Campeonato Mineiro, reaching five titles in the tournament, but was sacked on 29 August of that year.

Fourth spell at Santos

On 19 March 2026, Santos announced the return of Cuca as a head coach on a contract until the end of the year; it was his fourth spell in charge of the club.

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League	State League	Cup	Continental	Other	Total
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Santa Cruz-RS	1984	Gaúcho	—	24	4	—	—	—	24	4
1985	—	0	0	—	—	18	4	18	4
Total	—	24	4	—	—	18	4	42	8
Juventude	1985	Gaúcho	—	22	2	—	—	1	0	23	2
1986	Série B	7	0	25	5	—	—	—	32	5
1987	0	0	38	15	—	—	—	38	15
Total	7	0	85	22	—	—	1	0	93	22
Grêmio	1987	Série A	13	7	—	—	—	—	13	7
1988	22	8	25	11	—	—	4	1	51	20
1989	13	4	24	7	9	6	—	5	2	51	19
1990	0	0	25	14	2	1	6	1	—	33	16
Total	48	19	74	32	11	7	6	1	9	3	148	62
Valladolid	1990–91	La Liga	12	4	—	2	1	—	—	14	5
Internacional	1991	Série A	13	3	21	5	—	—	—	34	8
Grêmio	1992	Série B	9	2	—	—	—	—	9	2
Palmeiras	1992	Série A	0	0	18	5	6	2	—	—	24	7
Santos	1993	Série A	9	2	29	9	—	—	3	0	41	11
Portuguesa	1994	Série A	0	0	13	2	—	—	—	13	2
Remo	1994	Série A	13	2	—	—	—	—	13	2
Juventude	1995	Série A	14	1	23	8	4	0	—	—	41	9
Career total	125	33	287	82	23	10	6	1	31	7	472	133

International

Brazil
Year	Apps	Goals
1991	1	0
Total	1	0

Coaching statistics

As of match played 20 August 2026

Coaching record by team and tenure
Team	Nat	From	To	Record	Ref
G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win%
Uberlândia	Brazil	January 1998	June 1998	22	8	11	3	39	25	+14	036.36	[citation needed]
Inter de Limeira	Brazil	January 2000	February 2000	5	1	1	3	8	13	−5	020.00
Inter de Lages	Brazil	March 2001	May 2001	12	3	5	4	13	17	−4	025.00	[citation needed]
Remo	Brazil	23 August 2001	22 October 2001	15	6	3	6	19	23	−4	040.00	[citation needed]
Criciúma	Brazil	October 2001	May 2002	30	13	8	9	48	44	+4	043.33
Gama	Brazil	16 May 2002	4 July 2002	10	5	4	1	17	11	+6	050.00	[citation needed]
Paraná	Brazil	1 March 2003	26 May 2003	10	4	3	3	16	13	+3	040.00
Goiás	Brazil	26 May 2003	17 December 2003	37	17	8	12	19	23	−4	045.95
São Paulo	Brazil	17 December 2003	2 September 2004	51	30	8	13	81	49	+32	058.82
Grêmio	Brazil	10 September 2004	28 October 2004	11	3	1	7	11	19	−8	027.27
Flamengo	Brazil	3 February 2005	15 April 2005	12	5	4	3	20	17	+3	041.67
Coritiba	Brazil	6 May 2005	12 October 2005	28	9	8	11	35	39	−4	032.14
São Caetano	Brazil	9 November 2005	12 December 2005	5	2	2	1	8	7	+1	040.00
Botafogo	Brazil	22 May 2006	28 September 2007	91	40	30	21	166	125	+41	043.96
Botafogo	Brazil	7 October 2007	29 May 2008	42	26	8	8	90	42	+48	061.90
Santos	Brazil	2 June 2008	7 August 2008	14	3	4	7	16	25	−9	021.43
Fluminense	Brazil	11 August 2008	2 October 2008	9	2	5	2	12	11	+1	022.22
Flamengo	Brazil	12 December 2008	23 July 2009	39	19	13	7	67	45	+22	048.72
Fluminense	Brazil	1 September 2009	19 April 2010	44	27	11	6	88	50	+38	061.36
Cruzeiro	Brazil	8 June 2010	19 June 2011	60	37	11	12	119	52	+67	061.67	[citation needed]
Atlético Mineiro	Brazil	8 August 2011	18 December 2013	153	80	34	39	264	167	+97	052.29	[citation needed]
Shandong Luneng	China	21 December 2013	6 December 2015	85	40	23	22	160	110	+50	047.06	[citation needed]
Palmeiras	Brazil	14 March 2016	30 November 2016	53	30	11	12	87	51	+36	056.60
Palmeiras	Brazil	5 May 2017	13 October 2017	34	16	7	11	48	37	+11	047.06
Santos	Brazil	30 July 2018	2 December 2018	26	10	8	8	32	23	+9	038.46
São Paulo	Brazil	15 April 2019	26 September 2019	26	9	10	7	24	19	+5	034.62
Santos	Brazil	7 August 2020	21 February 2021	44	18	14	12	63	54	+9	040.91
Atlético Mineiro	Brazil	5 March 2021	28 December 2021	71	48	14	9	124	50	+74	067.61	[citation needed]
Atlético Mineiro	Brazil	25 July 2022	14 November 2022	21	7	7	7	20	19	+1	033.33
Corinthians	Brazil	20 April 2023	27 April 2023	2	1	0	1	3	3	+0	050.00	[citation needed]
Athletico Paranaense	Brazil	4 March 2024	24 June 2024	23	14	4	5	46	16	+30	060.87	[citation needed]
Atlético Mineiro	Brazil	29 December 2024	29 August 2025	45	22	11	12	64	39	+25	048.89	[citation needed]
Santos	Brazil	19 March 2026	present	28	11	11	6	41	29	+12	039.29
Total	1,158	566	302	290	1,868	1,267	+601	048.88	—