Official! Former Benfica boss heads to Brazil's second tier | OneFootball

It is official. Paulo Autuori is back in the dugout. The former Benfica coach was announced this Saturday, July 25, as the new manager of Brazilian club Fortaleza, signing a contract valid until the end of 2026.

The experienced 69-year-old coach takes charge of the team currently sitting in fifth place in Brazil’s Série B, bringing with him the rest of his coaching staff, made up of assistant Bernardo Franco and fitness coach Fábio Eiras.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Autuori has built a hugely prestigious career in South American and international football. His résumé includes winning the 1997 Copa Libertadores with Cruzeiro, as well as the Libertadores and the Club World Cup in 2005 with São Paulo. He was also Brazilian champion with Botafogo in 1995.

The coach’s career also took him to Portugal, where he managed Nacional, Vitória de Guimarães, Marítimo and Benfica, before moving on to new challenges abroad. Over the course of his career, he also won titles in Peru with Sporting Cristal and Alianza Lima, lifted the Qatar Emir Cup twice with Al-Rayyan and won the Colombian Super League as Atlético Nacional manager.

Last season, Autuori was in charge of Sporting Cristal, leading the Peruvian side to qualification for the Copa Libertadores group stage after coming through two knockout rounds. In addition to his work as a head coach, the former Benfica boss also coached the national teams of Peru and Qatar during his career.

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