_(cropped).jpg) Castro as manager ofShakhtar Donetsk in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luís Manuel Ribeiro de Castro[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1961-09-03)3 September 1961 (age 64)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Mondrões [pt], Portugal | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1976–1977 | Vieirense | ||
| 1977–1980 | União Leiria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1981 | União Leiria | 1 | (0) |
| 1981–1982 | Vieirense | ||
| 1982–1985 | União Leiria | 46 | (1) |
| 1985–1987 | Vitória Guimarães | 1 | (0) |
| 1987–1989 | Elvas | 58 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | Fafe | 6 | (0) |
| 1990–1997 | Águeda | 147 | (3) |
| Total | 259 | (4) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–2000 | Águeda | ||
| 2000–2001 | Mealhada [pt] | ||
| 2001–2003 | Estarreja | ||
| 2003–2004 | Sanjoanense | ||
| 2004–2006 | Penafiel | ||
| 2013–2014 | Porto B | ||
| 2014 | Porto | ||
| 2014–2016 | Porto B | ||
| 2016–2017 | Rio Ave | ||
| 2017–2018 | Chaves | ||
| 2018–2019 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 2019–2021 | Shakhtar Donetsk | ||
| 2021–2022 | Al-Duhail | ||
| 2022–2023 | Botafogo | ||
| 2023–2024 | Al Nassr | ||
| 2025 | Al Wasl | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luís Manuel Ribeiro de Castro (born 3 September 1961) is a Portuguesefootballmanager and former player who played as aright-back.
He played forVitória de Guimarães andElvas in thePrimeira Liga but spent most of his career in the lower leagues. In a managerial career of over a quarter of a century, he led four teams in his nation's top flight, including brieflyPorto where he won thesecond tier with thereserve team in2016. He also won aUkrainian Premier League title forShakhtar Donetsk in2020, and worked in Qatar, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Castro was born in the village ofMondrões [pt], inVila Real. He moved to Casal dos Claros and Vieira de Leiria in theLeiria District, due to his father's military profession. At age 11, he nearly died ofpurpura, which stopped him from playing football for three years.[2][3]
For two years, Castro was a student ofPhysics at theUniversity of Coimbra.[4][5][6]
Castro spent most of his 17-year professional career in the lower leagues, representingUnião de Leiria,Elvas,Fafe andÁgueda in theSegunda Liga, andVitória de Guimarães and Elvas in thePrimeira Liga.[7][8]
With the latter, he appeared in 28 matches in the1987–88 season, but his team ranked in 15th place and suffered relegation.[9]
One year after retiring from professional football, Castro began working as a manager with his final club Águeda, where he would remain for two seasons. He went on to be in charge of lowlyMealhada [pt],Estarreja andSanjoanense, before being appointed atPenafiel in the top tier in summer 2004[10] and guiding it to the eleventh position in hisdebut campaign,[5] the highlight being a 1–0 home win againstBenfica.[11]
Following Penafiel's relegation in2006, Castro left the club, joiningPorto's youth academy and eventually coachingthe reserves.[12] On 5 March 2014, following the resignation ofPaulo Fonseca at the helm of the main squad, he was put ininterim charge until the end ofthe season.[13]
Castro led Porto's reserves to theLigaPro title in2015–16; they were the first B team to win the division and as such ineligible for promotion.[14] He then managed three sides in thePortuguese top flight after leaving forRio Ave in November 2016,[15] going on toChaves[16] andVitória de Guimarães.[17] In May 2019, at the end of hisonly campaign at theEstádio D. Afonso Henriques, he secured for them fifth place and a spot in theUEFA Europa League at the expense of neighboursMoreirense.[18]
On 12 June 2019, Castro signed a two-year contract atShakhtar Donetsk as a replacement for compatriotPaulo Fonseca who left forRoma after winning threeUkrainian Premier League championships in a row.[19] In hisfirst season in Eastern Europe, the team's hopes of a sixth consecutivenational cup werethwarted in the last 16 byDynamo Kyiv,[20] but they did win a fourth league title in a row[21] andreached the semi-finals of the Europa League.[22]
In the2020–21 edition of theUEFA Champions League, Castro led Shakhtar to win twice overReal Madrid in the group stages,[23] yet they eventually finished third in the group and dropped into the Europa League, where they were eliminated in theround of 16 by Fonseca'sRoma.[24] In April 2021, with the domestic title all but taken bytheir rivals Dynamo, he announced that he would leave at the end ofthe campaign.[25] He ended his tenure on 9 May with a 1–0 win overInhulets Petrove.[26] In the Ukrainian Cup, they had abye tothe quarter-finals, where they lost 1–0 afterextra time atsecond-tierAhrobiznes Volochysk.[27]
On 12 May 2021, Shakhtar announced that Castro would be leaving the club after two years in charge.[28]
Castro agreed to a one-year contract withAl-Duhail of theQatar Stars League on 10 August 2021.[29] On 18 March 2022, immediately after havingwon theEmir Cup by defeatingAl-Gharafa 5–1,[30] he left by mutual consent.[31]
On 25 March 2022, Castro was named head coach ofBotafogo in the BrazilianSérie A, on a two-year deal.[32] A year later, during hisdebut campaign in theCampeonato Carioca, the team won theTaça Rio with a 7–3 aggregate win overAudax Rio de Janeiro.[33]
Castro led his side to their best-ever Série A start ineight rounds, only behindPalmeiras' feat in the2019 edition.[34] On 30 June 2023, he left after accepting an offer from a foreign club.[35]
_Persepolis_F.C._v_Al_Nassr_FC%2c_19_September_2023_02_(cropped).jpg)
On 6 July 2023, Castro was appointed atAl Nassr of theSaudi Pro League, replacing the dismissedRudi Garcia.[36] On 12 August, theyconquered theArab Club Champions Cup following a 2–1 victory againstAl Hilal.[37] He started theAFC Champions League campaign with a2–0 win at Iran'sPersepolis on 19 September.[38] In spite of star playerCristiano Ronaldo leading the scoring charts with a league all-time best 35 goals, his sidefinished second to the same opposition,[39]losing the final of theKing's Cup against that very team following apenalty shootout.[40]
Castro was dismissed on 17 September 2024, after a streak of disappointing performances.[41]
On 4 June 2025, Castro signed a contract withUAE Pro League clubAl Wasl.[42]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Águeda |  | 2 June 1998 | 21 February 2000 | 61 | 28 | 14 | 19 | 89 | 73 | +16 | 045.90 |
| Mealhada [pt] | | 17 May 2000 | 30 June 2001 | 30 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 73 | 18 | +55 | 060.00 |
| Estarreja | | 30 June 2001 | 22 May 2003 | 79 | 42 | 13 | 24 | 145 | 99 | +46 | 053.16 |
| Sanjoanense | | 22 May 2003 | 16 September 2004 | 45 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 67 | 47 | +20 | 048.89 |
| Penafiel | | 16 September 2004 | 4 June 2006 | 70 | 17 | 13 | 40 | 71 | 114 | −43 | 024.29 |
| Porto B | | 1 July 2013 | 4 March 2014 | 32 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 056.25 |
| Porto | | 5 March 2014 | 10 May 2014 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 18 | +7 | 056.25 |
| Porto B | | 11 May 2014 | 12 November 2016 | 106 | 48 | 22 | 36 | 166 | 133 | +33 | 045.28 |
| Rio Ave | | 12 November 2016 | 1 June 2017 | 27 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 048.15 |
| Chaves | | 1 June 2017 | 20 May 2018 | 37 | 14 | 8 | 15 | 51 | 60 | −9 | 037.84 |
| Vitória Guimarães | | 20 May 2018 | 12 June 2019 | 39 | 18 | 7 | 14 | 56 | 37 | +19 | 046.15 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk |  | 12 June 2019 | 9 May 2021 | 84 | 50 | 17 | 17 | 168 | 94 | +74 | 059.52 |
| Al-Duhail |  | 11 August 2021 | 18 March 2022 | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 75 | 30 | +45 | 069.23 |
| Botafogo |  | 25 March 2022 | 30 June 2023 | 80 | 42 | 15 | 23 | 115 | 74 | +41 | 052.50 |
| Al Nassr |  | 6 July 2023 | 17 September 2024 | 63 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 161 | 74 | +87 | 069.84 |
| Al Wasl |  | 4 June 2025 | 5 November 2025 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 13 | +20 | 064.29 |
| Total | 808 | 410 | 162 | 236 | 1,368 | 941 | +427 | 050.74 | |||
Estarreja
Porto B
Shakhtar Donetsk
Al-Duhail
Botafogo
Al-Nassr
Individual
