Portugal has always been among the greatest nations in terms of sports, primarily due to its beautiful playing style, attacking attitude, and exceptional skills and tricks. While most of its notoriety was brought about by names like Eusébio, Luís Figo, or Cristiano Ronaldo, the truth is that Portuguese management is just as impressive, with a host of names achieving notable success in the 21st century.
With this thought in mind, let’s see some of the most successful Portuguese coaches and managers in the last three decades.
José Mourinho
José Mourinho doesn’t need too many presentations. He remains of the most recognisable names in football management. His reputation goes far beyond the borders of Portugal. Apart from his achievements in terms of silverware, he’s also known for his belligerent and self-confident attitude, which can often put people (and especially reporters) in difficulty.
In terms of achievements, Mourinho has won league championships in four different countries. However, he’ll always be remembered for winning the Champions League (twice), the UEFA Cup/Europa League (twice) and the UEFA Conference League.
Some of the greatest teams in his portfolio include Real Madrid, Porto, Inter Milan, and Manchester United. Mourinho recently returned to his homeland to take over as Benfica manager. For those looking to back their predictions, platforms like MelBet offer a seamless football betting (Arabic: مراهناتكرةالقدم) experience where you can easily place wagers on your favourite teams
Fernando Santos
Portuguese fans will always remember Fernando Santos. He’s the first manager to ever win a major international trophy with Portugal, the UEFA Euro in 2016. In 2019, he also led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League, the inaugural tournament of Europe’s newest international competition.
Santos has also coached all of the so-called “Big Three” in Portugal: Porto, Sporting CP, and Benfica. He won the Liga Portugal with Porto. Apart from Portugal, other nations he has coached include Greece, Poland, and Azerbaijan.
Jesualdo Ferreira
Jesualdo Ferreira is a household name in Portuguese football. Most of his achievements are associated with Porto. He won three consecutive league titles and dominated the domestic game between 2006 and 2010, also winning Taça de Portugal twice.
Like Fernando Santos, Ferreira has also coached the “Big Three”. He was the first manager to win three consecutive titles in Portugal. Outside of Portugal, he has excelled in Egypt and Qatar. Furthermore, he managed Angola at national level.
Sérgio Conceição
Some remember Sérgio Conceição for his playing career. However, over the past few years, he has also become one of the most recognisable Portuguese coaches. He holds the record for most games managed at Porto. During this coaching streak, he won 11 trophies, including the league three times.
He has also trained Nantes in France and AC Milan in Italy. Conceição hasn’t coached any national teams yet.
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim is one of the youngest and most highly rated Portuguese coaches these days. He spent most of his playing career in Portugal, with five seasons at Belenenses and nine seasons at Benfica. As a young manager, he has achieved exceptional results compared to his peers.
After impressing at Casa Pia and Braga, Amorim did a magnificent job at Sporting CP between 2020 and 2024, transforming a dysfunctional club into the dominant force in Portugal. He won the league twice and was well on his way to a third championship title, only to be lured by Manchester United in 2024. The switch had a big impact with Manchester United fans, where pages like the MelBet Facebook Morocco experienced a surge in engagement, with real-time updates and insights for the Premier League.
Abel Ferreira
While many Portuguese coaches and managers gained notoriety in Portugal and Europe, Abel Ferreira chose a different path. Ferreira has become a huge football figure in South America, where he’s been coaching Palmeiras since 2020, one of the biggest clubs in the country, with a huge fanbase.
Before crossing the Atlantic, Ferreira also coached at Sporting CP and Braga, as well as PAOK in Greece. He hasn’t trained any national teams yet, despite speculation linking his name with national team posts – including Brazil’s – in the past.
André Villas-Boas
André Villas-Boas is one of a kind. He’s one of the few successful managers who never played professionally, having only progressed to the youth level. He became a manager in 2009 at Académica de Coimbra, showcasing exceptional skills and vision, which contributed to his growing reputation.
During his managerial career, he also coached Porto, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG, and Marseille. He had a relatively short coaching career, yet his unique attitude in management brought him to some of Europe’s largest clubs and earned him plenty of silverware, including a memorable league, cup and Europa League treble at Porto in 2010/11.
Since 2024, he has been the president of Porto, where his visionary approach appears to be bearing fruits in his new role.
Future outlook
Portuguese management looks quite promising for the future. Several top players nearing the end of their careers are thought to be getting ready to try their luck as coaches too, such as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, maybe even Cristiano Ronaldo, while up-and-coming managers such as Vasco Botelho da Costa (Moreirense) and João Pereira (Casa Pia) are tipped for a big future in the game.
Conclusion
The list can certainly be expanded, with names like Nuno Espírito Santo, Carlos Queiroz, Leonardo Jardim and Marco Silva. However, it is the above-mentioned managers who have done most to showcase how valuable Portuguese football is in terms of its coaching acumen.
