Renato Portaluppi

Renato Portaluppi, widely known as Renato Gaúcho, was born on 9 September 1962 in Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A forward noted for pace, dribbling and confidence, he became one of Grêmio’s defining players during the 1980s. He joined the Porto Alegre club in 1980 and helped it turn domestic success into continental and world titles. In the 1983 Copa Libertadores final against Peñarol, Portaluppi scored Grêmio’s goal in a 1–1 first-leg draw in Montevideo. At the Olímpico, he scored twice in the 2–1 return-leg victory, securing the club’s first Libertadores crown.

That triumph sent Grêmio to Tokyo for the Intercontinental Cup, where they faced Hamburger SV, European champions led by Felix Magath. On 11 December 1983, Portaluppi scored both Grêmio goals in a 2–1 extra-time win, earning the match’s Man of the Match award. The result remains the only time Grêmio have won the world club title. His club career also included Flamengo, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fluminense and Bangu, as well as a spell with Italy’s Roma. For Brazil, he played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, appearing in the tournament.

Portaluppi moved into coaching after retirement and managed several Brazilian clubs, including Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Bahia, Athletico Paranaense and Grêmio. His most consequential managerial appointment came when Grêmio brought him back in September 2016 after Roger Machado’s departure. With Portaluppi on the touchline, Grêmio won the Copa do Brasil in 2016, defeating Atlético Mineiro in the final over two legs. It was the club’s first major national knockout trophy since 2001 and ended a fifteen-year wait for a title. He then led the team through another defining continental campaign in 2017.

In that Libertadores edition, Grêmio eliminated Godoy Cruz, Botafogo, Barcelona SC and Lanús. The final against Lanús was decided over two matches: Grêmio won 1–0 in Porto Alegre and 2–1 in Argentina, prevailing 3–1 on aggregate. The victory gave the club its third Copa Libertadores and made Portaluppi one of the competition’s rare winners as both player and coach. In December 2017, his side lost the FIFA Club World Cup final 1–0 to Real Madrid, decided by Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick. Portaluppi later guided Grêmio to Campeonato Gaúcho titles in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and also won the 2018 Recopa Sudamericana. His outspoken public persona and his long association with Grêmio made him an emblematic figure in Brazilian football history today.