Gilson Batata

Gilson Pires da Silva (born 27 September 1967), better known as Gilson Batata, is a Brazilian former professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward. He is known in Brazilian football as "O Andarilho da Bola" (The Football Wanderer), due to the huge number of clubs he played for over the years.

Career
Gilson Batata began his career in the youth sectors of União Barbarense, in 1982. His first professional contract was with GE Catanduvense, a club he played for in 1986 and 1987, and in 1988, at Atlético Goianiense, he was state champion for the first time. He had a brief spell at Goiás and in 1990, he ended up being traded to Atlético Madrid, becoming part of the club's B team. Unsuccessful in Spain, he returned to Atlético Goianiense, where he was again champion, this time of Brasileiro Serie C in 1990.

Gilson passed through Rio Branco, Bahia and Sãocarlense, until arriving in Paraná in 1994, where he was part of the state champion squad that year. He moved to countless other clubs until returning to his formative club, União Barbarense, in 1998, where he was champion and top scorer in the Série A2. In 2000, he was again champion of the Campeoanto Paranaense, this time with Atlético Paranaense, a team for which he also played in the Copa Libertadores that season. In 2001 he competed in the Campeonato Paulista for Matonense, and the Campeonato Brasileiro for Sport Recife. In September of that year, he was signed by Figueirense FC.

Only conquered a cup again in the 2003 season, this time with Uberaba SC, in Módulo II of Minas Gerais, club for which he ended his career for the first time in 2008, when he definitively became a manager. In 2011, he played at the age of 43 for CAP Uberlândia, a club that Gilson helped to establish.

Managerial career
Gilson began his coaching career in 2006 at União Barbarense as a caretaker for one match. He returned to the club in 2008, a season in which he also led SE Itapirense in the Copa Paulista.

Afterwards, he only coached clubs in Minas Gerais, starting with CAP Uberlândia, a team he helped found, and Ituiutabana, Atlético Tricordiano, Uberaba  and Democrat-SL. He did not win titles as a coach.

CAP Uberlândia
On 5 April 2010, Gilson Batata was one of the founders of Clube Atlético Portal, which became known as CAP Uberlândia, a team that competed in the minor divisions of Minas Gerais from 2011 to 2020, and was champion of the Campeonato Mineiro Segunda Divisão in 2014. He was the club's first coach, in addition to having played professionally for the last time with the team.

Personal life
Gilson currently lives in Uberlândia, where he has a football school.

Honours

 * Atlético Goianiense
 * Campeonato Goiano: 1988
 * Campeonato Brasileiro Série C: 1990


 * Paraná
 * Campeonato Paranaense: 1994


 * União Barbarense
 * Campeonato Paulista Série A2: 1998


 * Athletico Paranaense
 * Campeonato Paranaense: 2000


 * Uberaba
 * Campeonato Mineiro Módulo II: 2003


 * Individual
 * 1998 Campeonato Paulista Série A2 top scorer: 18 goals
 * 2003 Campeonato Mineiro Módulo II top scorer: 14 goals