A Botafogo youth graduate, he spent the vast majority of his career with lower league clubs.

He only came into prominence in the early 2000s, after being in charge of Rio Claro while the club achieved successive promotions in the lower levels of the Campeonato Paulista.

Paulo Roberto managed Série C sides Grêmio Barueri in 2006 and Paysandu in 2007, achieving promotion with the former.

He was subsequently in charge of Atlético Sorocaba, winning the club's major title (Copa Paulista) in 2008.

[2] On 1 November, he was named São Bento manager,[3] and took the club to the third place of the ensuing Campeonato Paulista Série A2, achieving promotion to the first division.