New York City Football Club Wednesday announced that former World Cup winner Kleberson has joined the club as an assistant coach.
The Brazilian midfielder boasts a resume that includes stints at Manchester United, Beşiktaş J.K., Club Athletico Paranaense and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. He recorded 29 goals and 34 assists in 254 appearances while collecting club silverware in Brazil, England and Turkey.
After retiring in 2016, he joined the Philadelphia Union and has coached throughout its Academy, most recently serving as an assistant coach with Philadelphia Union II in MLS NEXT Pro.
“I’m very excited to be part of New York City Football Club,” Kleberson said in a statement. “It’s a big club, a big organization. The way the team plays makes me so excited to join. I’m here to help the guys become even better players, I’m here to do my best to help grow the team and to help the team win more MLS Cups.”
Kleberson wasn’t finished.
“I have always been motivated to develop players and to help them become the best they can be,” he continued. “I was fortunate to play with some fantastic players throughout my career, I observed those players as their teammate. Now as a coach, I try to teach everything I learned to help the young guys become even better on-and-off the field.
“What makes me the most excited about joining is the way the club plays – the philosophy of City Football Group was a big attraction to continue my development. We have a lot of guys that are very comfortable with the ball, really technical players. Growing up playing in the streets, I always enjoyed having the ball at my feet. I feel like I can contribute a lot, in terms of those details, to get the opportunity to create more, score more goals and have fun with the ball.”
Born in Uraí, Brazil, Kleberson made his mark at the international level. After earning a spot in the Starting XI in the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, Kleberson helped Brazil claim its record fifth World Cup by providing the pass that led to Brazil’s second goal to seal a 2-0 win against Germany in Japan. He also went on to win the 2004 Copa America and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the latter against the USA.
“We’re delighted to welcome Kleberson to NYCFC. He brings world-class experience that will complement an already extremely strong coaching staff with Nick Cushing, Rob Vartughian and Mehdi Ballouchy,” NYCFC sporting director David Lee said in a statement.
“While Kleberson’s experience as a player – playing at the highest levels both domestically and internationally – will be a huge benefit to our club and players, it has been his growth and commitment to developing as a coach during the last years which makes him ideal for this role. He is an extremely humble, hard-working and dedicated person who will add value to our coaching staff and players both on-and-off the pitch. We are looking forward to seeing the impact he will make.”
