Dante: Treble winner & fan favourite

“My goal is to be a coach. I’m really up for that. And to be a Bayern coach is a dream for me,” said Dante when visited at home by members’ magazine ‘51’ in 2024. That dream will now become a reality as the former fan favourite returns to the scene of his greatest triumphs after the Brazilian agreed to take over Bayern’s reserves for the new season. Find out more about the ex-centre-back over a decade since he last played for Bayern.

Catuense to Gladbach: The road to stardom

Born as Dante Bonfim Costa Santos in Salvador, Brazil on 18 October 1984, the man known simply as Dante got his first taste of club football at youth level with Catuense, Galícia and Capivariano before a move to Juventude, where he made his senior debut as a 19-year-old. The defender left home for Europe in 2004 to join Lille, before spells with Charleroi and Standard Liege in Belgium, prior to signing for Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he made 103 appearances over three seasons.

Unprecedented success in Munich

His displays in the Bundesliga saw Bayern bring in the centre-back in 2012 for what would become the most successful time of his career. The 13-time Brazil international made 133 appearances during his three-year spell in Munich, scoring five goals and providing eight assists, but doing the best of his work in defence as an organiser and leader.

The highlight, of course, was his first campaign under Jupp Heynckes, where Dante was a pivotal figure on the pitch and also produced his now famous “Und Pokal auch…” song as Bayern swept aside all challengers to win the treble in 2012/13. “They were three amazing years. I miss wearing that shirt. Bayern will forever be in my heart,” he said looking back on his time in Bavaria. Bayern won everything during his time at the club: the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, Champions League, domestic Supercup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. The Brazilian claimed 11 titles with the club as the backbone of one of its most successful eras.

A decade in the south of France

After that glorious spell in Munich, Dante moved to Wolfsburg in 2015 for a season before settling down again at Nice. He spent a total of 11 years in the south of France – the longest he stayed at a club – and played consistently until the age of 42. His final game as a player was in the Ligue 1 play-offs as Nice managed to stay in the top flight.

Looking back on his career, the Brazilian didn’t talk so much about his trophy collection but his sense of responsibility. “I’m really proud because I always had a young squad and there was lots of responsibility to develop the players. Every day and in every training session, I didn’t just focus on me but also helped the young players to improve,” he explained. It’s that attitude that he’s now bringing to his role in Munich, where the job as head coach of the reserves is predominantly about preparing young players to make the step up to the next level. And he’ll again do it with the experience, empathy and energy he displayed throughout his playing days.

Defensive leader to the touchline

The new Bayern coach is anything but a newcomer to top-level football. The former defender knows what he’ll need to do in his new role after playing under some huge names such as Heynckes, Pep Guardiola and Patrick Vieira. He’ll want to combine the people skills he learned from Heynckes, the attention to detail from Guardiola and the intensity and clarity of Vieira. Plus there’s the invaluable experience of 23 years playing at the highest level, in changing rooms where winning titles was the demand and not a one-off.

Dante’s next chapter

The 42-year-old has been working towards his next chapter for some time, already holding his UEFA Pro Licence. Now he’ll be putting it to use on a full-time basis after hanging up his boots, looking to pass on his experience and help build the next generation of footballers both as people and players on his return home to Munich.