Coach who replaced Jesus at Benfica close to returning to the dugout | OneFootball

Rui Vitória is very close to returning to action. A few months after being dismissed from the technical command of Panathinaikos, the Portuguese coach, who succeeded Jorge Jesus in leading Benfica, is expected to be announced soon as the new head coach of Al Wasl, in the United Arab Emirates.

This information was reported by the newspaper A Bola in the last few hours, at a time when the Portuguese coach is free in the market, after having ended his contract with the Greek club, where his compatriot Renato Sanches, on loan from PSG, also plays.

If this scenario is confirmed, it marks a return for Rui Vitória to the Middle East, where he already has some career experience. Previously, the coach who led Benfica to win two championships managed Al Nassr, in Saudi Arabia, between 2019 and 2020.

The 55-year-old coach — who left a message upon his departure from Panathinaikos — will be the second Portuguese to manage the team based in Dubai. Before Rui Vitória, Al Wasl was led by Luís Castro. The current coach of Grêmio, in the Brasileirão, held the reins of the club between June and November 2025.

With the official announcement expected in the coming days, Rui Vitória will find Al Wasl in fourth place in the Emirates championship, 12 points behind the leader Al Ahli, coached by Portuguese Paulo Sousa. This will be the ninth club in the Portuguese coach's career, having previously managed, besides Benfica, Vilafranquense, Fátima, Paços de Ferreira, Vitória de Guimarães, Al Nassr, Spartak Moscow, and Panathinaikos.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.