Paulo Sousa

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Carvalho and the second or paternal family name is Sousa.
Paulo Sousa

Sousa in 2010
Personal information
Full namePaulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa
Date of birth30 August 1970
Place of birthViseu, Portugal
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionDefensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Basel (coach)
Youth career
1984–1986Repesenses
1986–1989Benfica
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1989–1993Benfica87(1)
1993–1994Sporting CP31(2)
1994–1996Juventus54(1)
1996–1997Borussia Dortmund27(1)
1998–2000Internazionale31(0)
2000→ Parma (loan)8(0)
2000–2001Panathinaikos10(1)
2002Espanyol9(0)
Total257(5)
National team
1989Portugal U202(0)
1989–1991Portugal U219(1)
1991–2002Portugal52(0)
Teams managed
2005–2008Portugal U16
2008–2009Queens Park Rangers
2009–2010Swansea City
2010Leicester City
2011–2013Videoton
2013–2014Maccabi Tel Aviv
2014–Basel
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ˈsowzɐ]; born 30 August 1970) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and the current coach of FC Basel.

He was a member of the "Portuguese Golden Generation".[1] Starting his career at Benfica, he also represented Sporting in his country where he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 117 games and six goals in five years, and appeared with the national team in one World Cup and two European Championships.

From there onwards Sousa competed mainly in Italy and in Germany, winning the Champions League with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund and the Intercontinental Cup with the latter. His later career was severely hindered by injuries.

In the late 2000s Sousa took up coaching, managing several clubs in England, Wales and other countries.

Playing career

Portugal

Born in Viseu, Sousa started playing professionally for S.L. Benfica, being a starter from an early age, winning the national championship in 1991 and the domestic cup two years later.[2]

Later that summer, Sousa signed, together with teammate António Pacheco, for Lisbon neighbours Sporting Clube de Portugal. After a single season, where he partnered Luís Figo and Krassimir Balakov in midfield and the Lions came out empty in silverware, he joined Juventus FC.

Abroad

Sousa played for the Turin side for two seasons, leading it to the 1995–96 conquest of the UEFA Champions League.[2] He also won the previous year's Serie A, adding that year the domestic cup and supercups and also finishing as runner-up in the UEFA Cup.

Sousa then moved to Germany to play for Borussia Dortmund, where he repeated the Champions League triumph the following season.[2] The final was incidentally against his former club, Juventus. Although he appeared in that game, his Dortmund spell was plagued with injuries, which followed him the remainder of his career.

Sousa subsequently returned to Italy to play for Inter Milan, and eventually retired in the 2002 summer at the age of 31, after briefly representing Parma FC (loan),[3] Panathinaikos F.C. and RCD Espanyol.[2]

International career

A member of the Portugal squad that won the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship,[4] Sousa went on to earn 51 caps for the senior national team,[2] his international debut coming on 16 January 1991 in a friendly against Spain that ended in a 1–1 draw.

He played for his country at UEFA Euro 1996 and 2000, and was a squad member at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but did not play a single match. His last appearance came shortly before the latter competition, a 2–0 friendly win over China.

Managerial career

Portuguese national team

Sousa began his coaching career by joining the coaching staff of the Portuguese national team, taking the helm of the under-15s, and in the summer of 2008 was appointed assistant to first-team coach Carlos Queiroz, his former boss at Sporting and the Portuguese youths.

Queens Park Rangers

On 19 November 2008, Sousa was appointed head coach of Championship team Queens Park Rangers.[5] However, on 9 April 2009, he was sacked, as the club claimed he had divulged sensitive information without permission from the club hierarchy, namely Dexter Blackstock's loan move to Nottingham Forest having been agreed without his knowledge.[6]

Swansea City

Following Roberto Martínez's move to Wigan Athletic, Sousa was offered the role as Swansea City manager on 18 June 2009.[7] He verbally accepted the deal, signing a three-year contract, and was officially appointed on the 23rd.[8]

During the league campaign, Sousa led Swansea to its highest league finish for 27 years (7th), just outside the play-offs.[9] On 4 July 2010 he departed the club by mutual consent, set to take the vacant managerial post at Leicester City.[10]

Leicester City

On 7 July 2010, Sousa became the new manager of Leicester City. Club owner Milan Mandarić stated that he was delighted to "acquire a manager of such great calibre", adding he was "the right man to take our club forward".[11]

On 1 October, after less than three months in charge, Sousa was fired by Leicester, after a poor start to the season, with the team having won only once in his first nine league games.[12]

Videoton

On 15 May 2011, Sousa signed a three-year contract with newly crowned Hungarian champions Videoton FC.[13] He made his official debut in the Champions League qualifying round against Austria's SK Sturm Graz, in a 0–2 away loss,[14] followed by an insufficient 3–2 home win.[15]

On 30 August 2012, the day of his 42nd birthday, Videoton hosted Trabzonspor for the season's Europa League last qualifying round. After the 4–2 penalty shootout win (0–0 after 120 minutes), he stated: "The qualification was the most beautiful birthday of my life".[16]

On 7 January 2013, Videoton announced that they had agreed to terminate Sousa's contract due to family reasons.[17] That same day, it was reported that he would become the new manager of the New York Red Bulls,[18] but nothing came of it.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

On 12 June 2013, Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. officially appointed Sousa as its head coach.[19] He won the Israeli Premier League in his first and only season in charge.

Basel

On 28 May 2014 Sousa changed clubs and countries again, signing a three-year contract with FC Basel in the Swiss Super League.[20]

Honours

Player

Club

Benfica
Juventus
Borussia Dortmund

Country

Manager

Videoton
Maccabi Tel Aviv

Individual

Statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Portugal League Taça de Portugal Europe Total
1989–90BenficaPrimeira Liga20
1990–91360
1991–92241
1992–93250
1993–94SportingPrimeira Liga312
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1994–95JuventusSerie A261
1995–96280
Germany League DFB-Pokal Europe Total
1996–97Borussia DortmundBundesliga111
1997–98160
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1997–98Inter MilanSerie A110
1998–99100
1999–2000100
1999–2000ParmaSerie A80
Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total
2000–01PanathinaikosAlpha Ethniki60
2001–0240
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
2001–02EspanyolLa Liga90
Country Portugal 1183
Italy 931
Germany 271
Greece 100
Spain 90
Total 2575

International

Portugal
YearAppsGoals
199150
199200
199380
199450
199560
199650
199750
199820
199980
200050
200120
200210
Total520

Managerial statistics

As of 10 March 2015
Team Nat. From To Record
PWDLGFGAGDW%
Queens Park Rangers England 19 November 2008 9 April 2009 26 7 12 7 23 24 -1 26.9
Swansea City Wales 23 June 2009 4 July 2010 49 18 18 13 45 39 +6 36.7
Leicester City England 7 July 2010 1 October 2010 12 4 2 6 18 27 -9 33.3
Videoton Hungary 1 June 2011 7 January 2013 88 52 17 19 140 63 +77 59.1
Maccabi Tel Aviv[21] Israel 11 June 2013 28 May 2014 49 31 10 8 91 45 +46 63.3
Basel Switzerland 18 June 2014 Present 35 22 5 8 76 40 +36 62.9
Total 259 134 64 61 393 238 +155 51.7

References

  1. ↑ "QPR happy to gamble on Sousa". ESPN Soccernet. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Paulo Sousa: In profile". Queens Park Rangers. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  3. ↑ Capone, Antonello; Laudisa, Carlo (1 February 2000). "Inter Parma, scambio Sousa Serena" [Inter Parma, Sousa Serena exchange] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  4. ↑ Paulo Sousa – FIFA competition record
  5. ↑ "Sousa is new QPR first team coach". BBC Sport. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  6. ↑ "QPR axe Sousa after just 26 games". BBC Sport. 4 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  7. ↑ "Sousa to be named Swans manager". South Wales Evening Post. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  8. ↑ "Swansea unveil new manager Sousa". BBC Sport. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  9. ↑ Paulo Sousa backed to succeed as new manager of Leicester City; This Is Leicestershire, 6 July 2010
  10. ↑ Paulo Sousa departs as Swansea City manager; BBC Sport, 5 July 2010
  11. ↑ "Paulo Sousa confirmed as Leicester City boss". BBC Sport. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  12. ↑ "Leicester City sack manager Paulo Sousa". BBC Sport. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  13. ↑ "Paulo Sousa appointed Videoton coach". UEFA.com. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  14. ↑ "Sturm strike late to leave Videoton facing uphill task". UEFA.com. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Sturm go through after stern test in Hungary". UEFA.com. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "Paulo Sousa: "A továbbjutás volt a legszebb születésnapi ajándék"" (in Hungarian). Videoton FC. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "Paulo Sousa is leaving Videoton FC as manager". Videoton FC. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  18. ↑ "Paulo Sousa abandona Videoton e está a caminho dos EUA" [Paulo Sousa leaves Videoton, is on his way to the USA] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  19. ↑ "Paulo Sousa appointed as head coach". Maccabi Tel Aviv. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  20. ↑ "Paulo Sousa wird neuer Cheftrainer beim FC Basel 1893" [Paulo Sousa is new FC Basel 1893 head coach] (in German). FC Basel. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Fixtures; at Maccabi's official website

External links