Vítoria SC sack Luís Pinto; B-team manager Gil Lameiras promoted to head coach | OneFootball

Luís Pinto is the latest victim of Vitória’s chronic managerial instability (Photo: www.vitoriasc.pt)

Guimarães is one of Portugal’s most passionate football cities but the thirst for success comes with a price. The perpetual instability that defines Vitória Sport Clube has again come to the fore, with the board sacking Luís Pinto two months after the manager led the club to glory in the Portuguese League Cup.

When Vitória beat Minho rivals Braga 2-1 in a dramatic Taça da Liga final in January, it was only the third time the club had won silverware in their 103-year history, after lifting the Portuguese Cup in 2013 and the Super Cup in 1988. A big achievement for a club which, given they have played more seasons in Portugal’s top flight than any team other than the Big Three of Benfica, Sporting and Porto, are often cited as Portuguese football’s biggest underachievers.

The 36-year-old Pinto was showered with praise for his work, especially given the low expectations given Vitória had sold key players such as Tiago Silva, Tomás Händel and Nuno Santos in the summer and were relying on a young and inexperienced team.

That said, the Primeira Liga campaign has been up and down. Vitória are currently in 9th place in the standings, nine points behind fifth position which gives access to the last European berth and which president António Miguel Cardoso set as the goal ahead of the 2025/26 season.

In all competitions Pinto won 14 out of 31 matches. The 2-0 defeat in the Azores against Santa Clara on Saturday proved the final straw, with Pinto and his coaching staff comprising João Costa, Rui Vieira, Bruno Monteiro, Vítor Maia and Diogo Valente relieved of their duties.

In-house successor

B-team coach Gil Lameiras will take over. The 32-year-old has worked at the club for almost a decade, progressing through the youth levels, mainly as an assistant manager, until being appointed head coach of the B-team last season.

Lameiras followed up a promising debut season with another solid campaign this year, with Vitória SC in the mix for promotion to the second tier.