| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Miguel Azevedo Cardoso | ||
| Date of birth | (1972-05-28)28 May 1972 (age 53) | ||
| Place of birth | Trofa, Portugal | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mamelodi Sundowns (manager) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1993–1994 | Espinho (youth) | ||
| 2003–2004 | Porto (youth) | ||
| 2006–2007 | Braga (assistant) | ||
| 2007–2009 | Académica (assistant) | ||
| 2009–2011 | Braga (assistant) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Sporting CP (assistant) | ||
| 2012–2013 | Deportivo La Coruña (assistant) | ||
| 2013–2016 | Shakhtar Donetsk U21 | ||
| 2016–2017 | Shakhtar Donetsk (assistant) | ||
| 2017–2018 | Rio Ave | ||
| 2018 | Nantes | ||
| 2018–2019 | Celta Vigo | ||
| 2019 | AEK Athens | ||
| 2021 | Rio Ave | ||
| 2024 | Espérance de Tunis | ||
| 2024– | Mamelodi Sundowns | ||
José Miguel Azevedo Cardoso (born 28 May 1972), known asMiguel Cardoso, is a Portuguesefootballmanager, who is currently the manager ofSouth African Premiership clubMamelodi Sundowns.
Born inTrofa, Cardoso graduated inPhysical Education and Sports with specialization in football in 1995 and concluded a Masters inSports Science in 1998 in the College of Sports Science and Physical Education at theUniversity of Porto.[1] He started his coaching career in 1993, taking overS.C. Espinho's under-12 squad.[2]
Cardoso joinedFC Porto in 1996, initially asFernando Freitas' assistant in the under-10 team.[3] He later progressed through the club's youth setup, becoming a fitness coach of theB-team in 1999,[4] and being appointed in charge of the under-15s in 2003.[5]
In April 2004, Cardoso moved toC.F. Os Belenenses and became the first team's fitness coach.[6] On 10 May 2006, he followed former Belenenses managerCarlos Carvalhal toS.C. Braga, with the same role.[7]
In September 2007, Cardoso was namedDomingos Paciência's assistant atAssociação Académica de Coimbra.[8] He continued to work as Paciência's second man at Braga,Sporting CP[9] andDeportivo de La Coruña.[10]
On 12 June 2013, Cardoso was presented atFC Shakhtar Donetsk, being appointed manager of the under-21 squad while also working as a coordinator for the club's youth setup.[11] Ahead of the 2016–17 season, he becamePaulo Fonseca's assistant at the first team.
Cardoso left Shakhtar on 8 June 2017.[12]
On 12 June 2017, Cardoso was appointed at the helm ofPrimeira Liga clubRio Ave F.C., replacing departingLuís Castro.[13] After achieving three wins and a draw againstS.L. Benfica in his first four matches in charge, he was awarded the "Manager of the Month" for August.[14]
Cardoso led Rio Ave to a best-ever campaign in the top flight, finishing fifth (the club's best-ever position shared with the1981–82 season underFélix Mourinho), winning 51 points (beating the 50 reached byPedro Martins in2015–16) and achieving qualification to theUEFA Europa League.[15]
On 13 June 2018, Cardoso was appointed as manager of FrenchLigue 1 sideFC Nantes, replacingClaudio Ranieri.[16] He left the club on 2 October, after only obtaining six points in eight league matches.[17]
On 12 November 2018, Cardoso took overLa Liga sideRC Celta de Vigo, in the place of sackedAntonio Mohamed.[18] He gained international attention for his first press conference, in which he accidentally said that he was the manager of theirrivals Deportivo de La Coruña.[19] The following 3 March he too was dismissed, with theGalicians a place and two points above the relegation zone.[20]
On 28 May 2019, Cardoso was appointed as head coach of GreekSuper League sideAEK Athens F.C., replacingManolo Jiménez on a two-year deal.[21] He was fired on 25 August after just four matches, his third dismissal in twelve months.[22]
After over a year out of work, Cardoso returned to Rio Ave on 29 January 2021, on an 18-month deal.[23] His teamcame 16th, and had to faceF.C. Arouca in a play-off for top-flight survival. They lost 5–0 on aggregate;[24] between the two games the termination of his employment was informally arranged, and he was barred from the training ground.[25]
On 12 January 2024, Cardoso was appointed as head coach ofTunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 sideEspérance Sportive de Tunis, replacingTarek Thabet.[26]
After being sacked by Espérance in October 2024 following a poor start to the season,South African Premiership clubMamelodi Sundowns appointed Cardoso in December 2024.[27]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Rio Ave |  | 12 June 2017 | 13 June 2018 | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 62 | 59 | +3 | 047.62 | [28] |
| Nantes |  | 13 June 2018 | 2 October 2018 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 012.50 | [29] |
| Celta Vigo |  | 12 November 2018 | 3 March 2019 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 26 | −12 | 020.00 | [30] |
| AEK Athens |  | 1 July 2019 | 25 August 2019 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 025.00 | [31] |
| Rio Ave | | 29 January 2021 | 27 May 2021 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 25 | −11 | 020.00 | — |
| Espérance de Tunis |  | 12 January 2024 | 22 October 2024 | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 39 | 16 | +23 | 053.85 | — |
| Mamelodi Sundowns |  | 10 December 2024 | present | 49 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 89 | 30 | +59 | 063.27 | — |
| Career Total | 164 | 74 | 40 | 50 | 192 | 163 | +29 | 045.12 | — | |||
Espérance de Tunis
Mamelodi Sundowns