Back then, he was a teenager in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, with an obsession, a dream and an ultimate goal.
The obsession? Football: a passion he was gifted by, and shared with, his late father – an influential inspiration who is the guiding star of his career.
The dream? To become a coach.
The ultimate goal? To work in Europe – and, after being enchanted by events at the Ataturk Stadium in May 2005, for one club in particular.
“I’ve been a Liverpool supporter since the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’, so I’ve always had a close relationship with the club,” the 36-year-old, who joined the Reds as individual development lead coach in September, says.
“I love it here. I love every single minute of it. It’s a huge honour for me to be working at what is, for me, the biggest club in the world. It’s a combination of almost 20 years of hard work from when I started doing my first coaching course back in 2007.
“I have always dreamed of being a football coach since I was a little kid so to be here is a huge honour for me, for my family, for my wife and for my dad, who unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago, but wherever he is I’m sure he is very proud – and now he’s a Red.”
For someone still so young, Iubel has amassed an impressive amount of experience.
He holds UEFA A, UEFA A Elite Youth and CONMEBOL Pro coaching licences and arrived on Merseyside after leaving his position as assistant head coach of Atletico Mineiro.
A dual citizen of Brazil and Germany, Iubel has also worked for Bahia, Ceara, Coritiba, Juventude, Ponte Preta and Vasco da Gama, and led Cuiaba to the 2024 Mato Grosso state championship as interim head coach.
“I worked in some big clubs in Brazil but of course when you arrive over here and you see the size of the training ground, the size of the club, you understand it’s a different dimension. But that’s not something that scares me – on the other hand, it’s something that motivates me and every day when I wear this badge it is something that makes me feel proud,” he notes.
“To work in Europe has always been a professional goal of mine. I am also a German citizen and my wife and I also had the objective of having the experience of living here.
“So, I was always looking out for opportunities and the club posted this position online, I applied and then went through a very rigorous interview process which showed to me the level of professionalism at the club.
“That was something else that attracted me to Liverpool, obviously other than the tradition and the size of the club, straight away, from the first contact we had.
“That was very positive to me because I thought if they are going through this much detail and this many steps, they must think I am the right person and it felt the right fit for me as well – and here I am.
“When you have an organisation that is run so professionally, sometimes you might lose a personal touch but the club has not lost that here at the AXA [Training Centre]. Everyone really makes you feel part of a family so that’s the best of both worlds and I’m really happy with that.
“I love Liverpool as a city. I’ve been told that it’s part of the heart and the background of the city but everyone here is so welcoming. It’s just the perfect environment, although I’m still adjusting to the weather! But I’m getting there and I love it.”
