Vasco Matos Explained

Vasco Matos
Fullname:Vasco Miguel Lopes de Matos[1]
Birth Date:10 October 1980
Birth Place:Brandoa, Portugal
Height:1.75 m
Position:Winger
Currentclub:Santa Clara (manager)
Youthyears1:1989–1993
Youthyears2:1993–1999
Youthclubs1:Estrela Amadora
Youthclubs2:Sporting CP
Years1:1999–2002
Years2:1999–2000
Years3:2001–2002
Years4:2002–2003
Years5:2003–2004
Years6:2004–2006
Years7:2006–2008
Years8:2008
Years9:2008–2010
Years10:2010–2014
Years11:2014–2015
Years12:2015–2016
Clubs1:Sporting CP B
Clubs2:Lourinhanense (loan)
Clubs3:Campomaiorense (loan)
Clubs4:Vitória Setúbal
Clubs5:Felgueiras
Clubs6:Olhanense
Clubs7:Beira-Mar
Clubs8:Rapid București
Clubs9:Portimonense
Clubs10:Aves
Clubs11:Benfica Castelo Branco
Clubs12:Vilafranquense
Caps1:33
Caps2:31
Caps3:15
Caps4:5
Caps5:33
Caps6:61
Caps7:31
Caps8:4
Caps9:50
Caps10:98
Caps11:20
Caps12:24
Totalcaps:405
Goals1:6
Goals2:2
Goals3:1
Goals4:0
Goals5:0
Goals6:0
Goals7:5
Goals8:0
Goals9:2
Goals10:9
Goals11:0
Goals12:0
Totalgoals:25
Nationalyears1:1996
Nationalyears2:1997
Nationalteam1:Portugal U15
Nationalteam2:Portugal U17
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalgoals2:0
Manageryears1:2016
Manageryears2:2017
Manageryears3:2017–2019
Manageryears4:2019
Manageryears5:2020
Manageryears6:2020–2023
Manageryears7:2023–
Managerclubs1:Leixões (assistant)
Managerclubs2:Vilafranquense (assistant)
Managerclubs3:Vilafranquense
Managerclubs4:Alverca
Managerclubs5:Casa Pia
Managerclubs6:Casa Pia (assistant)
Managerclubs7:Santa Clara

Vasco Miguel Lopes de Matos (born 10 October 1980) is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a winger, currently manager of Primeira Liga club Santa Clara.

He spent most of his career in his country's second tier, making 272 appearances and scoring 14 goals for six clubs. In Primeira Liga, he played 21 games and scored three times for Vitória de Setúbal and Beira-Mar.

Playing career

Born in Brandoa in Amadora, Lisbon District, Matos began playing at C.F. Estrela da Amadora at the age of eight before choosing Sporting CP over S.L. Benfica four years later. He never made a first-team appearance for the Lions, instead playing for farm team S.C. Lourinhanense and the reserve team in the third division.[2]

In 2001, Matos was loaned to S.C. Campomaiorense of the second tier for his first professional experience, and the club's last season at that level. He left for Vitória F.C. where he would make his Primeira Liga debut in 2002–03, albeit in a relegation. The following campaign he played in a cash-strapped F.C. Felgueiras team where he went for five months without pay.[2]

After representing S.C. Olhanense and S.C. Beira-Mar – the latter being relegated from the top-flight in 2006–07 – Matos had his only experience abroad in February 2008, with FC Rapid București in Romania's Liga I.[3] That 15 August, he returned to his country's division two with Portimonense S.C. on a two-year deal.[4]

Matos played four seasons with C.D. Aves again in the second tier, and one each at third-division Sport Benfica e Castelo Branco and U.D. Vilafranquense of the Lisbon Football Association's first district league before retiring in 2016.[5]

Coaching career

Matos assisted Filipe Coelho at Leixões S.C. and Vilafranquense, and became manager of the third-tier latter side in December 2017 when his mentor moved abroad.[6] [7] He debuted on 10 December with a 2–0 away win against GS Loures,[8] and finished the season as runners-up to C.D. Mafra before elimination in the play-off semi-finals by S.C. Farense (4–1 aggregate).[9]

On 6 March 2019, Matos was replaced in his job by Filipe Moreira.[10] Three months later, he was appointed at nearby F.C. Alverca in the same league.[11] On 17 October, he led them to a 2–0 home victory over Sporting in the third round of the Taça de Portugal, only the second time that the opposition had been eliminated by a third-division club.[12] He left by mutual consent on 27 December.[13]

Matos returned to the game on 5 July 2020 at Casa Pia AC, who had been kept in division two on a court decision.[14] He left his post still during pre-season, but remained with the team as an assistant manager.[15] On 20 June 2023, he departed this role at the now top-flight Lisbon club, to take the helm at newly relegated C.D. Santa Clara.[16] He won promotion in his debut campaign, as champions.[17]

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
Vilafranquense4 December 20176 March 2019[18]
Alverca13 June 201927 December 2019[19]
Casa Pia5 July 2020 1 September 2020[20]
Santa Clara20 June 2023Present[21]
Total

Honours

Manager

Santa Clara

2023–24[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vasco Matos. Mais Futebol. pt. 27 September 2021.
  2. Web site: Vasco Matos: 'Vou ser muito melhor treinador do que jogador'. Vasco Matos: 'I will be a much better manager than I was as a player'. Mais Futebol. Nuno. Travassos. pt. 15 October 2019. 21 August 2020.
  3. Web site: Mercado: Vasco Matos (Beira Mar) a caminho do Rapid Bucareste. Transfer market: Vasco Matos (Beira Mar) heading to Rapid București. Mais Futebol. Francisco. Frederico. pt. 7 February 2008. 21 August 2020.
  4. News: Vasco Matos por duas épocas. Vasco Matos for two seasons. Record. pt. 15 August 2008. 21 August 2020.
  5. News: Vasco Matos reforça o Vilafranquense. Vasco Matos bolsters Vilafranquense. Record. pt. 4 August 2015. 21 August 2020.
  6. News: Kenedy é o novo treinador do Leixões. Kenedy is the new manager of Leixões. Diário de Notícias. pt. 2 November 2016. 20 July 2023.
  7. News: Vasco Matos e a estreia como treinador: 'Sabem que é muito fácil lidar comigo mas a exigência é máxima'. Vasco Matos and his managerial debut: 'They know that it is very easy to get along with me but I demand the maximum'. Record. Flávio Miguel. Silva. pt. 7 December 2017. 21 August 2020.
  8. News: Vilafranquense vence na estreia do técnico Vasco Matos. Vilafranquense win on manager Vasco Matos' debut. O Mirante. pt. 13 December 2017. 21 August 2020.
  9. News: Vasco Matos: "Os nossos jogadores foram extraordinários". Vasco Matos: "Our players were extraordinary". Record. pt. 27 May 2018. 21 August 2020.
  10. Web site: Filipe Moreira substitui Vasco Matos no Vilafranquense. Filipe Moreira replaces Vasco Matos at Vilafranquense. Voz Ribatejana. Jorge. Talixa. pt. 6 March 2019. 21 August 2020.
  11. Web site: Vasco Matos é o novo treinador do Alverca. Vasco Matos is the new manager of Alverca. Voz Ribatejana. Joel. Balsinha. Jorge. Talixa. pt. 13 June 2019. 21 August 2020.
  12. Web site: Vasco Matos: 'É a vitória mais importante na minha curta carreira'. Vasco Matos: 'It's the most important victory in my short career'. TVI 24. Rafael. Vaz. pt. 17 October 2019. 21 August 2020.
  13. News: Alverca anuncia a saída de Vasco Matos do comando técnico. Alverca announce exit of Vasco Matos from managerial post. O Jogo. Marco. Talhadas. pt. 27 December 2019. 21 August 2020.
  14. News: Vasco Matos é o novo treinador do Casa Pia. Vasco Matos is the new manager of Casa Pia. Record. pt. 5 July 2020. 21 August 2020.
  15. Web site: Filipe Martins é o novo treinador do Casa Pia. Filipe Martins is the new manager of Casa Pia. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. pt. 1 September 2020. 27 September 2021.
  16. News: Oficial: Vasco Matos é o novo treinador do Santa Clara. Official: Vasco Matos is the new manager of Santa Clara. Record. pt. 20 June 2023. 20 July 2023.
  17. News: Ricardo Pacheco, presidente do Santa Clara: 'Vamos para a Primeira Liga para lá ficar.'. Ricardo Pacheco, Santa Clara president: 'We go to the First League to stay there.'. The Herald News. João. Gonçalves. pt. 24 May 2024. 3 June 2024.
  18. Web site: UD Vilafranquense: Matches. Soccerway. 21 February 2024.
  19. Web site: FC Alverca: Matches. Soccerway. 21 February 2024.
  20. Web site: Casa Pia AC: Matches. Soccerway. 21 February 2024.
  21. Web site: CD Santa Clara: Matches. Soccerway. 21 February 2024.