 Lage in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bruno Miguel Silva do Nascimento | ||
| Date of birth | (1976-05-12)12 May 1976 (age 49) | ||
| Place of birth | Setúbal, Portugal | ||
| Position | Right winger[1] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1991 | Independente[1] | ||
| 1993–1995 | UCRD Praiense | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2000 | UCRD Praiense[1] | ||
| 2001–2002 | Quintajense | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2019 | Benfica B | ||
| 2019–2020 | Benfica | ||
| 2021–2022 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 2023 | Botafogo | ||
| 2024–2025 | Benfica | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bruno Miguel Silva do Nascimento (born 12 May 1976), known asBruno Lage[n 1] (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈbɾunuˈlaʒɨ]), is a Portuguesefootball manager who last managedPrimeira Liga clubBenfica.
During his first tenure as coach ofBenfica in Portugal, he won the2018–19 league title and the2019 Super Cup. He then spent just over a season as manager ofWolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, followed by a brief spell at Brazilian clubBotafogo before returning to Benfica in 2024.
Born inSetúbal, Lage's father, Fernando Lage Nascimento, was formerly a manager in the Portuguese lower leagues.[3] Lage started his coaching career in the youth ranks of hometown clubVitória de Setúbal in 1997.[2][4] Lage was appointed as a physical/fitness coach by former Vitória andFamalicão manager José Rocha, of whom he was described as a protégé.[3]
In 2004, Lage joinedBenfica as a youth coach. Lage coached every youth team from 2004 to 2012.[citation needed] DefenderJoão Cancelo has praised the role of Lage in his development and credited him as a father figure.[5]
Lage later worked as an assistant coach toCarlos Carvalhal atSheffield Wednesday andSwansea City from 2015 to 2018.[6][7] Lage co-authored a book on football tactics alongside Carvalhal,Soccer: Developing a Know-How (2014).[8][9] Lage returned to Benfica as manager of theirreserve team in July 2018 to replaceHélder Cristóvão.[1]
DuringBenfica's 2018–19 season, Lage took charge of the club's first-team ascaretaker manager, replacingRui Vitória on 3 January 2019.[10][11] He managed his firstPrimeira Liga game in a 4–2 home win overRio Ave on 6 January, and was appointed permanent head coach eight days later.[12][13] One of Lage's first decisions was to begin regularly starting teenage playmakerJoão Félix, who had scored twice in the triumph over Rio Ave. Upon being appointed as Benfica coach, Lage had decided to focus on developing youth and adopting an attacking style of play. He deployed a new 4–4–1–1 formation in order to play to the strengths of Felix as a shadow striker behindHaris Seferovic, giving him freedom to roam while encouraging his full-backs to attack and using technically gifted midfielders in order to both defend and create. Lage also promoted younger players to the first team, such asFlorentino andFerro, who would go on to play important roles that season.[14][15]
Felix started 28 of 29 matches in all competitions under Lage, scoring 17 goals and recording 10 assists. Lage was credited with the emergence of a young player viewed as "the most exciting Portuguese player sinceCristiano Ronaldo" and for building the team around Felix. Felix called Lage "the manager who put me where I am today."[16][17]
On 10 February, after winning two consecutiveLisbon derbys – including a 4–2 away win in the league[18][19] – Lage led Benfica to the biggest Primeira Liga margin of victory since 1964 and to the league's highest scoring win since 1965, a 10–0 thrashing ofNacional,[20][21][22] setting the record for the biggest win at the newEstádio da Luz.[23] On 14 February in hisUEFA Europa League debut, Benfica won in Turkey for the first time in their history, beatingGalatasaray 2–1 in the first leg of theround of 32.[24][25] A 0–0 draw at the Estádio da Luz sent Benfica through to the round of sixteen, where they defeatedDinamo Zagreb 3–1 on aggregate after extra-time.[26] Benfica were eliminated from the Europa League at the quarter-finals stage byEintracht Frankfurt on the away goals rule, having won 4–2 at home before falling to a 2–0 defeat at theWaldstadion on 18 April.[27]
With Benfica's 2–1 away victory inO Clássico on 2 March 2019, Lage won his third of four clashes against rivalsSporting CP andPorto, equaling the same number of wins Rui Vitória achieved in 16 matches.[28] From matchday 16 to 34, Lage won 18 league matches and drew just one to win his first major trophy,Benfica's 37th league title. With a 94% winning percentage, he surpassedJimmy Hagan's record at Benfica and achieved Primeira Liga's all-time best second round: 49 points from 19 games. In addition, he equalledSven-Göran Eriksson's1990–91 feat of beating Porto, Sporting, andBraga away in the same season. Under Lage, Benfica finished the league with 103 goals scored, equaling the club's record of the1963–64 season.[29]
Lage then started asecond season at Benfica with a5–0 win over Sporting CP in the Super Cup.[30]
On 17 September, he made hisUEFA Champions League debut in a 2–1 home defeat to German sideRB Leipzig, continuing Benfica's record in the competition of having lost 11 times in the last 14 games.[31] A 3–0 victory overZenit Saint Petersburg in Benfica's final group stage game meant that Benfica finished in 3rd place and progressed to the Europa League, finishing above the Russian team by virtue of a superior head-to-head record. The victory ensured that Benfica "finished the Champions League campaign on a high, but there is a sense that they should have done better."[32]
Following a win atTondela on 27 October, Lage set the record for the quickest coach to record 25 victories in the Primeira Liga, having won 25 of his first 27 league matches and triumphing in every away game.[33] Lage's Benfica would go on to win every away league game under him in 2019, having scored 42 goals in 15 games.[34] In January 2020, Benfica set a new record for the number of consecutive wins away from home, having achieved victory 17 consecutive times since Lage had been appointed.[35] This record was extended to 18 successive away wins after defeatingPaços de Ferreira atEstádio da Mata Real, however, the team's winning run was ended with a 3–2 defeat at Porto.[36][37]
On 29 June 2020, Lage made his position available after equalising Benfica's worst ever series of results – 2 wins in 13 matches in the2000–01 season[38][39] – and establishing a record of 5 consecutive matches without a win at Estádio da Luz, which included defeats to Braga andSanta Clara.[40] Lage's reign at Benfica was summarised as him having a strong record of managing his players and promoting youth; however, players felt disengaged by training, and that Lage and the team had failed to adjust to the loss of João Félix.[41]
He was replaced by his assistant coachNélson Veríssimo on 30 June, and had his contract terminated on 4 July that year.[42][43]
In June 2021, Lage was lined up to succeed compatriotNuno Espírito Santo atPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers. He required a hearing for a work permit, as he did not qualify automatically to work in Britain post-Brexit.[44] The hearing was successful and, on 9 June, he was confirmed as the club's new head coach for the2021–22 season.[45][46][47] Lage's remit was described as "attacking football, fluid formations and developing youth", in addition to challenging for European football.[48]
Lage's first signing for Wolves was wingerFrancisco Trincão, who joined the club on a season-long loan from Barcelona.[49] Further additions were made to the first-team in the form of goalkeeperJosé Sá and the loan signing of Korean forwardHwang Hee-chan.[50][51] Sá would go on to win Wolves' player of the season award that year after a string of impressive performances, and was credited for his sweeper keeper role, which allowed Lage to adopt a strategy of building attacks from the back of defence.[52][53]
On 14 August 2021, Wolves lost 1–0 away toLeicester City in Lage's first game.[54] In his first home game atMolineux, Lage lost 1–0 to aTottenham Hotspur side managed by Nuno Espírito Santo. He achieved his first win ten days later, a 4–0 victory atNottingham Forest in the second round of theEFL Cup.[55] Despite not winning any of their opening three league fixtures, Lage's side was praised for their attacking playing style, with supporters dubbing it "Bruno-ball".[56][57] During pre-season, Lage had initially attempted to move Wolves away from the 3–4–3 system favoured by his predecessor, and deployed a 4–4–2 or 4–2–3–1; however, he reverted to the five-man defence once the season started, due to issues with the defence.[58] Relying on the players favoured by Espírito Santo and adopting a similar style of play, Lage's first season was described as "evolution rather than revolution."[59]
Lage got his first league win at the fourth attempt, a 2–0 win againstWatford atVicarage Road on 11 September.[60] It took until Lage's fourth league game at home to record a win, a 2–1 success againstNewcastle United on 2 October, with both Wolves strikes coming from Hwang Hee-chan.[61] In the following game, Lage's team recorded their third successive victory by defeating local rivalsAston Villa 3–2 atVilla Park. Wolves had been 2–0 down in the 80th minute and became just the third team in Premier League history to win a match after being two goals behind with ten minutes left of the match. Lage also equalled the club record of leading the side to three successive away victories in the Premier League.[62] Wolves came close to winning four successive top-flight matches for the first time since 1972 in their next game, but conceded an injury-time penalty againstLeeds United.[63]
In the January transfer window, Lage made one new signing, bringing in Portuguese wingerChiquinho.[64] The loan transfer of Hwang Hee-chan was also made permanent.[65] Lage won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for January, after winning all three fixtures that month: 1–0 away atManchester United, 2–1 atBrentford and a 3–1 home win againstSouthampton.[66] Lage'sFA Cup run ended in the fourth round, with Wolves losing 1–0 at home to fellow Premier League sideNorwich City, having defeatedSheffield United 3–0 in the third round.[67][68]
A strong run over the winter months led to praise for what Lage had achieved in his time at Wolves with limited backing in the transfer market, and he was credited with getting an improvement out of younger players such asRayan Aït-Nouri andMax Kilman.[69] A 2–1 win against Leicester City on 20 February brought Wolves up to seventh place, with Wolves being tipped to battle for a place in European competition for the following season. Wolves were just six points behind fourth place and with two games in hand, leading to suggestions that Lage might lead his team to the Champions League places.[70][71][72] From the fourth round of games, Lage's team had taken 40 points from 21 games, the fourth-best total in the league.[73] However, a late defeat away to fellow European challengersArsenal in the next game caused Wolves to fall behind in the race for continental competition. Wolves had led until the 82nd minute, thanks to a goal from Hwang Hee-chan, but would go on to lose the match in injury time.[74] In a 2–0 home defeat toCrystal Palace, Lage subbed off young defenderKi-Jana Hoever after just twenty-five minutes with a suspected injury, remarking: "I don’t waste time who guys who don’t work hard."[75]
On 18 March 2022, Wolves lost 3–2 at home to Leeds United, despite leading 2–0 at half-time, with Leeds scoring three second-half goals after strikerRaúl Jiménez was sent off.[76] This started a run of just five points from the final nine games, with Lage's sole win in this run coming on 2 April against local rivals Aston Villa.[77] Wolves did not win any of their final seven games, ultimately finishing the 2021–22 season in tenth place, despite not having been lower than eighth since December 2021 prior to the final day. Wolves' final fourteen matches included nine defeats and just eleven points won, and although Lage had won away to opponents such as Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, his team had only scored more goals than the three relegated teams.[78][73]
At the end of the previous season, Lage suggested that there would be a "natural transition" of the first team.[79] It was reported that Lage wanted to change the team's style of play, and that he "wants to play a higher line and wants his team to have more of the ball, to be more aggressive, to be quicker at the back, to be more athletic, tactically dynamic (ie, to play two systems, including four at the back) and be much better in duels."[80] Throughout pre-season, Wolves consistently used a four-man defence, playing in a 4–3–3 or 4–2–3–1 formation, as opposed to the five-man defence, which had been used since Nuno Espírito Santo's time at the club, including throughout Lage's first season.[81][82]
For the2022–23 season, Lage oversaw a significant overhaul of the Wolves squad. GoalkeeperJohn Ruddy and defendersMarçal andRomain Saiss were released, with Ki-Jana Hoever andFábio Silva both sent out on season-long loans.[83][84][85] Club captainConor Coady was also sent out on loan toEverton in order to facilitate Lage's desire to move to a four-man defence, for which he felt Coady was unsuited.[86][87] Despite starting the club's first two games, midfielderMorgan Gibbs-White was sold to Nottingham Forest, andWilly Boly andLeander Dendoncker both left the club on deadline day.[88][89][90] Centre-backNathan Collins was signed fromBurnley, followed by the arrivals of Portuguese duoGonçalo Guedes andMatheus Nunes, the latter of whom was signed for a club record fee of £38m.[91][92] Lage had previously coached Guedes as a youth player at the Benfica academy.[93] Towards the end of the month, Austrian strikerSaša Kalajdžić also signed for Wolves, and on deadline dayBoubacar Traoré joined the club on loan.[94][95] MidfielderRúben Neves was also retained, despite speculation that he would be leaving Wolves.[96] The club's transfer window was characterised as Lage reshaping the squad to his own desires; removing players that were perceived as being too used to the system of predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo, and instead bringing in new players which were more suited to the new style of play which he wanted to implement.[97][98] Lage explained: "I had the feeling... that the circle for some players had finished, that we needed to refresh the team." Wolves spent more than £100m in the summer transfer window, andThe Athletic argued that "Lage has been backed... Wolves have transformed their squad completely.[99] Lage called it "the team we were dreaming of" and stated his belief that it was a "new chapter" for his side.[100]
On 6 August, in Wolves' first game of the season, Lage utilised the four-man defence, which the team had been practising in pre-season for the first time, but his team lost 2–1 away to Leeds United, despite initially taking a 1–0 lead.[101] In the club's second game, a point was secured at home toFulham, after a late penalty save by José Sá.[102] After a loss away to Tottenham Hotspur, an injury-time equaliser for Newcastle United on 28 August denied Wolves their first league win of the season.[103][104] Lage's team was booed off after a 0–0 draw away to managerlessBournemouth, who had lost their previous game 9–0. The draw meant that Wolves had not won in any of their previous twelve league games.[105] The win arrived in the following match, beating Southampton 1–0 at home on 3 September.[106][107] The victory against Southampton was marred by an injury to Raúl Jiménez in the warm-up, and new signing Saša Kalajdžić was forced off at half-time with an injury on his debut. With news that Kalajdžić would be out for a significant length of time due to an ACL tear, leaving Wolves without a fit senior striker, Lage signed free agentDiego Costa on 12 September.[108]
Following a 3–0 loss at home to championsManchester City in the club's next game, it was reported that Lage's job was at risk.[109][110] On 2 October, after a defeat toWest Ham United, Lage and his coaching staff were sacked, with the club 18th in the league. Wolves had scored just three goals, the lowest tally in the league.[111] Tensions in the dressing room were later reported as a reason for Lage's removal, alongside the results.The Athletic said: "Lage fell short in his quest to transform the club’s style of play... There were moments of encouragement and promises of exciting football, but Lage’s reign will go down in Wolves history as a failure."[112] After his dismissal, Lage defended his time at the club on social media, arguing that the team "never lost a match with a striker in the initial line-up, [and] will surely improve as strikers become available."[113]
Lage was initially replaced by under-18s coachSteve Davis on an interim basis, before ultimately being succeeded on a permanent basis byJulen Lopetegui on 14 November.[114][115]
On 8 July 2023, after almost a year without coaching, Lage was announced atCampeonato Brasileiro Série A sideBotafogo, replacing compatriotLuís Castro.[116] He was sacked on 3 October, after an eight-match winless run, and an eventual elimination from the2023 Copa Sudamericana.[117]
Lage returned to Benfica on 5 September 2024, being appointed as the club's new head coach, signing a 18-month contract, following the sacking ofRoger Schmidt.[118] Lage's first competitive game back in charge of Benfica ended in a 4–1 home victory against Santa Clara on 14 September.[119] He would embark on a seven-match winning streak, including a 4–0 home win againstAtlético Madrid on 2 October in theChampions League league phase, which ended on 23 October in a 3–1 home loss toFeyenoord in the Champions League.[120] On 10 November, Benfica recorded their biggest competitive league win against Porto in 60 years with a 4–1 home victory, a result not seen since a 4–0 defeat in the 1964–65 season.[121]
On 11 January 2025, Lage won hisfirst league cup final, as Benfica defeated Sporting CP on penalties.[122] On 17 September, he was sacked, a day after a 3–2 home loss to minnowsQarabağ in their opening2025–26 Champions League league phase match.[123]
Lage's son, Jaime (born April 2015), is named afterJaime Graça, Lage's biggest influence in football, as a mentor.[1] Lage's younger brother, Luís Nascimento, is also a coach.[124]
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Benfica B | 1 July 2018[126] | 3 January 2019[n 2] | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 061.54 |
| Benfica | 3 January 2019[11] | 29 June 2020[n 3] | 76 | 51 | 12 | 13 | 181 | 76 | +105 | 067.11 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 June 2021[127] | 2 October 2022 | 51 | 19 | 10 | 22 | 52 | 56 | −4 | 037.25 |
| Botafogo | 9 July 2023 | 3 October 2023 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 14 | +5 | 026.67 |
| Benfica | 5 September 2024[11] | 17 September 2025 | 66 | 45 | 10 | 11 | 155 | 60 | +95 | 068.18 |
| Total | 222 | 127 | 44 | 51 | 422 | 213 | +209 | 057.21 | ||
Benfica
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