 Paulo Sérgio in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Sérgio Bento Brito[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1968-02-19)19 February 1968 (age 57)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Estremoz, Portugal[1] | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Okhdood (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1982 | Sanjoanense Lisboa | ||
| 1982–1984 | Petrogal | ||
| 1984–1986 | Olivais Moscavide | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1987 | Olivais Moscavide | ||
| 1987–1988 | Vilafranquense | 36 | (13) |
| 1988–1993 | Belenenses | 66 | (15) |
| 1993–1994 | Paços Ferreira | 26 | (5) |
| 1994–1995 | Salgueiros | 8 | (2) |
| 1995–1997 | Vitória Setúbal | 28 | (7) |
| 1997 | Feirense | 6 | (0) |
| 1998 | Santa Clara | 16 | (3) |
| 1998–1999 | Grenoble | 32 | (16) |
| 1999–2001 | Estoril | 66 | (32) |
| 2002–2003 | Olhanense | 47 | (25) |
| Total | 331 | (118) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2003–2006 | Olhanense | ||
| 2006–2007 | Santa Clara | ||
| 2008 | Beira-Mar | ||
| 2008–2009 | Paços Ferreira | ||
| 2009–2010 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 2010–2011 | Sporting CP | ||
| 2011–2012 | Hearts | ||
| 2012–2013 | CFR Cluj | ||
| 2013 | APOEL | ||
| 2014–2015 | Académica | ||
| 2016 | Dibba Al-Fujairah | ||
| 2018–2019 | Sanat Naft | ||
| 2019 | Al Taawoun | ||
| 2020–2024 | Portimonense | ||
| 2025– | Al-Okhdood | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paulo Sérgio Bento Brito (born 19 February 1968), known asPaulo Sérgio, is a Portuguese former professionalfootballer who played as aforward. He is currentlymanager ofSaudi Pro League clubAl-Okhdood.
He amassedPrimeira Liga totals of 86 matches and 18 goals over seven seasons, but played mainly in thelower divisions of Portugal. He also spent a year in theFrench fourth tier withGrenoble, in a 17-year senior career.
Paulo Sérgio began his career as manager in 2003 and went on to be in charge of several teams, includingVitória de Guimarães,Sporting CP andHearts. He won the2011–12 Scottish Cup with the last of those clubs.
Born inEstremoz,Alentejo Region, Paulo Sérgio's football career was spent mainly as asubstitute, at least in thePrimeira Liga. In 17 professional seasons, he representedOlivais e Moscavide,Vilafranquense,Belenenses – his most steady period, helping theLisbon side finish in second position in theSegunda Liga in1991–92 with a career-best eight goals, with the consequent promotion –Paços de Ferreira (his best year in the top division came whilst at this club, scoring five times in 26 games in the1993–94 campaign, even though 14 of those came from the bench, as they were eventually relegated),Salgueiros,Vitória de Setúbal,Feirense,Santa Clara,Estoril andOlhanense.
In 1998–99, Paulo Sérgio had a spell abroad with French teamGrenoble, in theChampionnat de France Amateur.[2]
Paulo Sérgio took up coaching after retiring in 2003, his first experience being with his last club Olhanense, for three seasons. He next managed another former team,Azores's Santa Clara.[3]
Paulo Sérgio's first spell in the top flight occurred in2008–09, with yet another side he had represented as a footballer, Paços de Ferreira.[3] However, on 14 October 2009, he left forVitória de Guimarães to take the place of the sackedNelo Vingada, signing until summer 2011.[4]
In late April 2010, Paulo Sérgio reached an agreement to succeedCarlos Carvalhal at the helm ofSporting CP, effective as of July.[5] After dispatchingNordsjælland ofDenmark in theUEFA Europa League, he made his league debut on 14 August, suffering a 1–0 defeat at Paços.[6]
On 26 February 2011, following a 0–2 home loss againstBenfica in the league, andEuropa League elimination at the hands ofRangers, with Sporting also out ofdomestic cupcontention and trailingPorto by 23 points inthe league, Paulo Sérgio's contract was mutually terminated.[7]
Paulo Sérgio was appointed manager ofScottish Premier League clubHeart of Midlothian on 2 August 2011, following the removal of his predecessorJim Jefferies on the previous day.[8] In October, the team withdrew their staff from all media events in protest at him being called in front of theScottish Football Association following his remarks aboutrefereeIain Brines after a defeat againstAyr United the following month.[9] He was also sent to the stands for dissent during a game againstKilmarnock afterIan Black wassent off andMarius Žaliūkas fouledPaul Heffernan, allowingDean Shiels to score the game's only goal from thepenalty spot.[10]
On 19 May 2012, Paulo Sérgio and Heartswon theScottish Cup – the eighth overall for the club and the first in six years – after a5–1 win over fellow Edinburgh sideHibernian.[11] He rejected a new contract offer, and left on 7 June.[12]
On 28 October 2012, Paulo Sérgio was appointed atCFR Cluj in Romania, after theLiga I team failed to reach an agreement with compatriotSérgio Conceição.[13][14]
He managed to lead the side to theEuropa League knockout phase, but the year 2013 started badly with seven consecutive games without a win; thus, he was sacked on 13 April.[15]
On 20 May 2013, Paulo Sérgio signed a one-year contract with reigningCypriot championsAPOEL.[16] He made his debut againstNK Maribor at theGSP Stadium on 31 July in a 1–1 first leg draw in thethird qualifying round of the2013–14 UEFA Champions League,[17] with the tie being lost on theaway goals rule.[18] On 17 August he won his first trophy with his new club, after a 1–0 victory overApollon Limassol in theSuper Cup.[19]
On 4 October 2013, APOEL parted company with Paulo Sérgio, who spent less than five months in charge of the team and managed just three wins in 11 matches.[20][21]
On 31 May 2014, Paulo Sérgio signed a one-year deal withAcadémica de Coimbra.[22] His first official game in charge occurred on 16 August, a 1–1 home draw with Sporting.[23]
Club and Paulo Sérgio agreed to part ways on 15 February 2015, with the team second from bottom having won once in 21 games.[24]
In June 2016, Paulo Sérgio was hired atDibba Al-Fujairah.[25] He was dismissed on 10 December, after taking five points with no wins in the first 11UAE Pro-League matches ofthe season and immediately following an 8–0 loss toAl-Wasl.[26]
Remaining in theMiddle East, Paulo Sérgio signed a one-year deal withSanat Naft in June 2018.[27] He took the team to eighth in theIran Pro League, and at the end ofthe campaign was hired byAl Taawoun in Saudi Arabia;[28] he blamedU.S. sanctions against Iran for making his previous job difficult.[29]
Paulo Sérgio left the club shortly before the end of 2019, with the team in sixth place – the holders had also beeneliminated from the last 16 of theKings Cup byAbha Club.[30]
In February 2020, Paulo Sérgio became the second manager of second-from-bottomPortimonense in thePortuguese top-tier campaign.[31] Though he improved their performance, earning himself the Manager of the Month award for June,[32] theAlgarve team were relegated on the final day; he voted to stay with them even before they were restored to the league as a result of Vitória de Setúbal's irregularities.[33]
After finishing in14th and13th place, Paulo Sérgio signed a new contract in May 2022, tying him to Portimonense until 2024 in the aim of qualifying for European competition.[34] On 3 June 2024, however, following theirrelegation in the playoffs with a 4–2 aggregate loss to newly formedAVS, he resigned.[35]
Paulo Sérgio returned to Saudi Arabia on 2 March 2025, being appointed head coach ofAl-Okhdood on a deal until the end of thetop-division season.[36]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | Ref | ||||
| Olhanense |  | 1 July 2003 | 17 May 2006 | 111 | 52 | 32 | 27 | 046.85 | [1] |
| Santa Clara | | 17 May 2006 | 31 December 2007 | 50 | 24 | 9 | 17 | 048.00 | [1] |
| Beira-Mar | | 8 February 2008 | 15 May 2008 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 041.67 | [1] |
| Paços de Ferreira | | 22 May 2008 | 14 October 2009 | 55 | 18 | 15 | 22 | 032.73 | [1] |
| Vitória de Guimarães | | 15 October 2009 | 13 May 2010 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 043.33 | [1] |
| Sporting CP | | 14 May 2010 | 26 February 2011 | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 052.63 | [1] |
| Hearts |  | 2 August 2011 | 7 June 2012 | 47 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 044.68 | [37] |
| CFR Cluj |  | 28 October 2012 | 13 April 2013 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 036.84 | [1] |
| APOEL |  | 20 May 2013 | 4 October 2013 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 027.27 | [1] |
| Académica | | 31 May 2014 | 15 February 2015 | 26 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 011.54 | [1][37] |
| Dibba Al-Fujairah |  | 1 July 2016 | 11 December 2016 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 012.50 | [38] |
| Sanat Naft |  | 1 July 2018 | 22 May 2019 | 33 | 8 | 17 | 8 | 024.24 | [28][38] |
| Al Taawoun |  | 22 May 2019 | 29 December 2019 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 056.25 | [38] |
| Portimonense | | 10 February 2020 | 3 June 2024 | 167 | 47 | 35 | 85 | 028.14 | [1] |
| Al-Okhdood | | 2 March 2025 | Present | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 037.50 | |
| Total | 647 | 238 | 167 | 242 | 036.79 | ||||
Belenenses
Santa Clara
Grenoble
Olhanense
Heart of Midlothian
APOEL
