Pepa (footballer) explained

Pepa
Fullname:Pedro Miguel Marques da Costa Filipe
Birth Date:14 December 1980
Birth Place:Torres Novas, Portugal
Height:1.86 m
Position:Forward
Youthyears1:1991–1994
Youthclubs1:CADE
Youthyears2:1994–1999
Youthclubs2:Benfica
Years1:1999–2002
Caps1:5
Goals1:1
Years2:1999–2002
Caps2:29
Goals2:1
Years3:2000–2001
Clubs3:Lierse (loan)
Caps3:14
Goals3:1
Years4:2002–2003
Caps4:50
Goals4:10
Years5:2004–2005
Caps5:1
Goals5:0
Years6:2005–2006
Caps6:12
Goals6:3
Totalcaps:111
Totalgoals:16
Nationalyears1:1996
Nationalcaps1:8
Nationalgoals1:3
Nationalyears2:1996
Nationalcaps2:2
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:1998
Nationalcaps3:3
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:1999
Nationalcaps4:9
Nationalgoals4:1
Manageryears1:2010–2011
Managerclubs1:Tondela (assistant)
Manageryears2:2011–2013
Managerclubs2:Benfica (youth)
Manageryears3:2013–2015
Manageryears4:2015–2016
Manageryears5:2016
Managerclubs5:Moreirense
Manageryears6:2017–2019
Managerclubs6:Tondela
Manageryears7:2019–2021
Managerclubs7:Paços Ferreira
Manageryears8:2021–2022
Managerclubs8:Vitória Guimarães
Manageryears9:2022–2023
Managerclubs9:Al-Tai
Manageryears10:2023
Managerclubs10:Cruzeiro
Manageryears11:2023–2024
Managerclubs11:Al Ahli

Pedro Miguel Marques da Costa Filipe (born 14 December 1980), known as Pepa, is a Portuguese football manager and former player who played as a forward.

Formed at Benfica, where he made seven first-team appearances, he spent most of his career in his country's second tier, with 63 games and 13 goals for three clubs. He also played on loan at Lierse in the Belgian top flight, and earned 22 caps for Portugal at youth level.

Pepa began working as a manager in 2013, leading four Primeira Liga sides.

Playing career

Club

Born in Torres Novas, Santarém District, Pepa joined S.L. Benfica's youth system in 1994, aged 13.[1] He made his competitive debut with the main squad on 23 January 1999, scoring in a Primeira Liga 3–1 home win against Rio Ave FC.[2] After being touted as an early promise, he went on to appear mainly for the reserve team,[3] also being loaned in March 2000 to Lierse S.K. in Belgium[4] for a fee of 50 million Portuguese escudos.[5]

In 2002, Pepa terminated his contract with Benfica which had four years remaining, following in the footsteps of fellow youth graduates Rui Baião and Jorge Ribeiro and signing with Varzim SC, a decision he later claimed as the worst mistake in his life.[6] He ended his career in late 2007 at only 26, due to several knee injuries.[7] [8]

International

Pepa represented Portugal at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels. He helped the last of those age groups to win the UEFA European Championship in 1999.[9]

Coaching career

In summer 2013, after two years working with Benfica's youth sides,[10] Pepa had his first head coaching experience, being appointed at A.D. Sanjoanense in the regional leagues[11] and helping the club to promote to the third division at the first attempt.[12] In 2015–16 he achieved the same feat with C.D. Feirense of the LigaPro, even though he did not finished the season after being replaced by José Mota for the final two months.[13]

Pepa continued to work in the Portuguese top tier in the following years, with Moreirense F.C.[14] [15] and C.D. Tondela.[16] During his two-year stint at the latter he successfully avoided relegation, but was not retained.[17]

Having started the 2019–20 campaign without a club, Pepa replaced Filó at the helm of F.C. Paços de Ferreira after the fourth matchday, with the team last in the standings.[18] In May 2021, after having led them to fifth place and qualification for the inaugural edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League, he left the Estádio da Mata Real.[19] [20]

Days after leaving Paços, Pepa signed a three-year contract to manage Vitória de Guimarães.[21] He finished sixth in his only season, but he and his coaching staff were dismissed on 12 July 2022, days before the new campaign was due to open against Puskás Akadémia FC in the Conference League.[22]

On 19 July 2022, Pepa was handed his first foreign management job, at Al-Tai FC in the Saudi Professional League.[23] In January 2023, following a 1–0 defeat to Al Wehda FC, he was relieved of his duties.[24]

Pepa switched countries again on 20 March 2023, after being announced as head coach of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Cruzeiro Esporte Clube.[25] He was sacked on 29 August, due to poor results.[26]

On 3 October 2023, Pepa was appointed as manager of Qatar Stars League club Al Ahli SC, on a one-year deal.[27]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Benfica1998–99Primeira Liga210021
1999–2000002020
2000–01000000
2001–02300030
Subtotal512071
Benfica B1999–2000Segunda Divisão120120
2000–010000
2001–02171171
Subtotal291291
Lierse (loan)2000–01Belgian Pro League141141
Varzim2002–03Segunda Liga29510305
2003–0421511226
Subtotal5010215211
Paços de Ferreira2004–05Segunda Liga1010
Olhanense2005–06Liga de Honra11320133
2006–071010
Subtotal12320143
Career total1111661000011717

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
28 June 201325 May 2015
1 July 201524 March 2016
Moreirense20 May 201621 November 2016
Tondela10 January 201724 May 2019
Paços Ferreira2 September 201919 May 2021
Vitória Guimarães21 May 202112 July 2022
Al-Tai19 July 202222 January 2023
Cruzeiro20 March 202329 August 2023
Al Ahli3 October 20238 April 2024
Total

Notes and References

  1. News: Pepa admite "excessos" na juventude e diz ter sido vítima de racismo. Pepa admits to "excesses" in youth and says he was a victim of racism. Jornal de Notícias. João. Faria. pt. 16 March 2017. 22 March 2023.
  2. News: Pepa marcou golo na estreia. Pepa scored goal in debut. Record. pt. 5 March 2002. 3 January 2018.
  3. News: Equipas B: "Laboratório" ou "armazém"?. B teams: "Laboratory" or "warehouse"?. Record. pt. 9 November 2001. 17 June 2015.
  4. News: Pepa cedido ao Lierse por uma época e meia. Pepa loaned to Lierse for one and a half seasons. Record. pt. 13 March 2000. 24 September 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150711072144/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/interior.aspx?content_id=27785. 11 July 2015.
  5. News: Pepa: "Quero voltar ao Benfica". Pepa: "I want to return to Benfica". Record. pt. 15 March 2000. 26 February 2021.
  6. Web site: Pepa em retrospectiva: "Sair do Benfica foi o meu maior erro". Pepa in hindsight: "To leave Benfica was my biggest mistake". Mais Futebol. Nuno. Travassos. pt. 31 December 2007. 26 February 2021.
  7. Web site: Pepa em entrevista: de promessa do Benfica à "reforma" aos 26 anos. Pepa in interview: from Benfica promise to "retirement" at the age of 26. Mais Futebol. Nuno. Travassos. pt. 31 December 2007. 24 September 2014.
  8. Web site: Pepa, dez anos depois. Pepa, ten years later. Eterno Benfica. pt. 6 January 2011. 24 September 2014.
  9. Web site: Portugal no Euro sub-19: Pepa, do título de 99 ao deslumbramento. Portugal at the under-19 Euro: Pepa, from the 99 title to thinking he had it made. Mais Futebol. David. Marques. pt. 17 July 2014. 22 March 2023.
  10. Web site: "Bruno Lage ficou com um carro com muitos cavalos e tem mãos para ele". Bruno Lage was given a car with a lot of horsepower and he can handle it. Mais Futebol. pt. 28 March 2019. 3 August 2019.
  11. News: Pepa: "Estou obcecado por começar a trabalhar". Pepa: "I am obsessed with starting to work". Record. pt. 28 June 2013. 26 February 2021.
  12. News: Todos os plantéis da edição 2014/15. All the squads of the 2014/15 edition. Record. pt. 23 August 2014. 17 June 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150617081510/http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/seniores/interior.aspx?content_id=901097. 17 June 2015.
  13. Web site: Pepa e a subida do Feirense: "Correm-me as lágrimas por não estar a festejar". Pepa and Feirense's promotion: "Tears are running down my face as I am not celebrating". TVI 24. pt. 14 May 2016. 3 August 2019.
  14. News: Pepa é o novo treinador. Pepa is the new manager. Diário de Notícias. pt. 20 May 2016. 3 August 2019.
  15. Web site: Pepa já não é treinador do Moreirense. Pepa is no longer the Moreirense manager. SAPO. pt. 21 November 2016. 13 September 2019.
  16. News: Pepa é o novo treinador do Tondela. Pepa is the new manager of Tondela. O Jogo. pt. 10 January 2017. 3 August 2019.
  17. News: Pepa deixa de ser treinador do Tondela. Pepa is no longer manager of Tondela. Diário de Notícias. pt. 24 May 2019. 18 September 2019.
  18. News: Pepa é o novo treinador do Paços de Ferreira. Pepa is the new Paços de Ferreira manager. O Jogo. pt. 2 September 2019. 13 September 2019.
  19. News: Presidente do Paços de Ferreira confirma saída de Pepa no final da época. Paços de Ferreira president confirms Pepa departure at the end of the season. Record. José. Santos. pt. 9 May 2021. 18 May 2021.
  20. News: Paços de Ferreira garante o quinto lugar no campeonato e reage desta forma curiosa. Paços de Ferreira confirm fifth place in league and have this funny reaction. O Jogo. pt. 12 May 2021. 18 May 2021.
  21. Web site: Pepa confirmado como novo treinador do V. Guimarães. Pepa confirmed as new manager of V. Guimarães. SAPO. pt. 21 May 2021. 22 May 2021.
  22. News: V. Guimarães despede Pepa e anuncia Moreno. V. Guimarães dismiss Pepa and announce Moreno. Público. pt. 12 July 2022. 18 July 2022.
  23. News: Pepa ruma ao Al-Tai da Arábia Saudita e treina pela primeira vez no estrangeiro. Pepa heads to Saudi Arabia's Al-Tai and manages abroad for the first time. Observador. pt. 19 July 2022. 19 July 2022.
  24. News: الطائي ينهي تعاقده مع بيبا ويعلن التوقيع مع الروماني ميريل رادوي لتدريب الفريق الأول. Al-Tai terminate contract with Pepa and announce signing of Romania's Mirel Radoi to coach first team. Al Riyadh. ar. 23 January 2023. 23 January 2023.
  25. Web site: Pepa é o novo técnico do Cruzeiro. Pepa is the new head coach of Cruzeiro. Cruzeiro EC. pt. 20 March 2023. 20 March 2023.
  26. Web site: Pepa não é mais o técnico do Cruzeiro. Pepa is no longer head coach of Cruzeiro. Cruzeiro EC. pt. 29 August 2023. 29 August 2023.
  27. Web site: البرتغالي بيدر ميغيل مدربا رسميا للعميد. Portugal's Pedro Miguel is officially coach of the Dean. Al Ahli SC. ar. 3 October 2023. 4 October 2023.