The mysterious case of Daniel Sousa: sacked after a handful of games... for the second time this season
Vitória SC take drastic action after shock Cup exit
Daniel Sousa will not look back on 2024/25 season with fond memories. The 40-year-old coach has been sacked after just three games by Vitória Sport Clube following the Guimarães team’s shock exit from the Portuguese Cup at the weekend at the hands of 4th-tier Elvas.
This after Sousa lasted just four games before being shown the door at the start of the season at Minho neighbours Braga.
An unwanted Minho double
The Minho region in northern Portugal, as well as being one of the most beautiful parts of the country, is also home to the nation’s two biggest clubs outside the traditional Três Grandes.
Landing a managerial role at Braga or Vitória often precedes a step up to a major job either in Portugal or abroad. The likes of Jorge Jesus, Paulo Fonseca, Sérgio Conceição and Rui Vitória, to name just a few recent examples, all had stints in the Minho before earning fame and fortune elsewhere.
Therefore, when Daniel Sousa was appointed Sporting Clube de Braga coach last summer expectations were high about the further development of one of Portugal’s brightest managerial prospects.
Sousa had steadily earned recognition, beginning as an analyst for a host of clubs including Porto, Chelsea, Spurs, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Marseille, before landing his first job as a head coach at Gil Vicente in 2022/23, in his home town of Barcelos. Taking over in November with Gil flirting with relegation, Sousa stabilised the team but his contract was not renewed at the end of the season.
The following campaign Sousa again replaced a sacked coach in November as he was given the reins at Arouca, who were rock bottom of the league at the time. He oversaw a spectacular recovery as the northern club became one of the most entertaining teams in the country, eventually narrowly missing out on European qualification with a 7th-place finish.
Court battle
Braga president António Salvador made his move and hired Sousa to take over from Artur Jorge. However, just four games into the new season, Sousa was sacked with commentators scratching their heads as to the reason. The coach had overseen just four matches, guiding the team to two draws and two victories. Salvador never explained what made him pull the trigger, and the club and Sousa have been wrangling in court about a suitable compensation package ever since.
A few months down the line, Vitória coach Rui Borges was poached by Sporting to take over at Alvalade following Ruben Amorim’s departure and João Pereira’s ill-fated stint. That left a vacancy at the Dom Afonso Henriques and Sousa got the call. Much was written about how the job came with the added ingredient of the coach having the chance to “exact revenge” over local rivals Braga. The two Minho clubs have the fiercest rivalry in Portuguese football outside the Big Three, and if Vitória finished above Braga it would be a big deal.
Sousa started reasonably well, drawing 2-2 against Farense in the Algarve followed by an incredible 4-4 draw against Sporting in the game of the season in Guimarães. Vitória were unlucky not to win both games, conceding stoppage time equalisers in both matches. However, on Sunday Vitória were the victims of one of the biggest shocks in the Portuguese Cup in years as Elvas, who play in the fourth tier, came from behind to beat Sousa’s team 2-1. Despite being a huge surprise, it seems harsh to give Sousa his marching orders after one poor result.
In total Sousa compiled a record of 7 matches, 2 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat at the two Minho clubs but lasted just a matter of weeks each time. Given the incomprehensively short length of his tenures, we will never know what he could have achieved.
Vitória and the price of success
It has been a rollercoaster of a season for Vitória fans. It began with the departure of two star players – Jota Silva and Ricardo Mangas – but that was soon forgotten as a superb first five months of the campaign saw the Conquistadores set a record for consecutive European victories by a Portuguese side. Borges’ men won nine matches in a row in the Europa Conference League qualifiers and competition proper.
But hopes of a historical season have since been rocked by the departure of Borges, the sale of highly-rated right-back Alberto Costa to Juventus, the expected departure of more high-quality players, and the confusion surrounding the coaching position.
Former Rio Ave and Nacional coach Luís Freire is expected to named as the new man in the dugout.
By Tom Kundert