Bruno Ribeiro

Bruno Miguel Fernandes Ribeiro was born in Setúbal, and progressed through the youth team ranks at local Primeira Divisão club Vitória Setúbal to make the first-team bench for the first time on 29 May 1994. A left-sided midfielder with a powerful shot, he also possessed a quick temper and was liable to pick up yellow and red cards. His first-team debut came on 29 September 1994, when he came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Paulo Gomes in a 3–0 defeat to Gil Vicente at the Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo. He scored his first goal for the club on 28 May 1995, in a 4–1 victory over União da Madeira, and ended the 1994–95 season with one goal in eleven appearances as the club suffered relegation. He then scored two goals in nine games as they won promotion at the first attempt in 1995–96. He played a further 21 top-flight matches in the 1996–97 campaign, where he was spotted by Leeds United manager George Graham, who had been scouting Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Ribeiro also won five caps for the Portugal under-21 team. Ribeiro was sold to the English Premier League club Leeds United for a fee of £500,000 in July 1997, making him a Hasselbaink teammate, who also joined the club in the summer. He scored his first goal for Leeds in his second appearance, a 3–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, and went on to score a total of four goals in 35 games in the 1997–98 season. However, he picked up an injury at the start of the 1998–99 season. He failed to win back his…

Early career

In March 2011, Ribeiro succeeded Manuel Fernandes as head coach at Vitória Setúbal, having previously coached the club's under-17 team. He was sacked following a 3–0 away defeat to Braga on 13 February 2012 that placed the team last in the league; he later harshly criticized the board of directors. Vitória went on to avoid relegation at the end of the 2011–12 season under the stewardship of new manager José Mota. In June 2012, Ribeiro was appointed head coach at Farense in the lower leagues. From March to November 2014 he worked with Moura, also in the third tier. He returned to Vitória Setúbal in January 2015, taking over from Domingos Paciência, and managed to steer the club away from relegation at the end of the 2014–15 season despite only winning three of his 17 games in charge. He decided to leave the club at the expiry of his contract, stating that he was satisfied with his accomplishment.

Ludogorets and Académico de Viseu

In June 2015, he was appointed as head coach at Bulgarian Parva Liga champions Ludogorets Razgrad and told the Bulgarian media: "José Mourinho is like a brother of mine [Mourinho was youth team coach at Vitória Setúbal in the 1990s]... it is possible that some Chelsea players will join Ludogorets [on loan]. I'll talk with Mourinho and see what happens. Without doubt he is going to help us". However, Ludogorets recorded three losses in Ribeiro's first three matches, including elimination from the UEFA Champions League…

Ribeiro has stated that 90% of his training ground work is based on José Mourinho's ideas, using possession play, building from the back – instructing his players not to play long balls, and maintaining a fixed shape. He prefers to play with a 4–3–3 formation, utilising a lone striker. Andy Smith, Ribeiro's close friend and preferred coach, has said that Ribeiro is "class" and that "the coaching sessions, the way he prepares" means that "we have a plan A, B and C". He likes to create a "family" feeling in the dressing room.

Player

Vitória de Setúbal

Segunda Divisão de Honra second-place promotion: 1995–96 Segunda Liga second-place promotion: 2003–04 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira runner-up: 2005 Taça de Portugal: 2005; runner-up 2006 Taça da Liga: 2008

Manager

Ludogorets

Bulgarian Supercup runner-up: 2015