Paulo Bento

Footballer

Paulo Bento is a renowned Portuguese football manager and former player, known for his impactful career in both roles.

Bento played for several clubs, including Benfica and Sporting CP, where he was part of a team that won the league and cup double in 2002.

After retiring, he became the youth team coach at Sporting CP, winning the junior championship in 2005.

Based on: Wikidata, Wikipedia

Biography

Early Life

Paulo Jorge Gomes Bento was born in Lisbon, Portugal, where he began his journey in football. He started his professional career at C.F. Estrela da Amadora, playing from 1989 to 1991, before moving to Vitória S.C. and then to S.L. Benfica, where he played until 1996. His early years were marked by a strong commitment to the sport, which laid the foundation for his future successes.

Playing Career

Bento's playing career spanned over a decade, during which he earned 35 caps for the Portugal national team from 1992 to 2002. He made his debut in a match against Spain and participated in significant tournaments, including UEFA Euro 2000. His club career included stints at Real Oviedo in Spain, where he helped the team maintain its La Liga status, and Sporting CP, where he concluded his playing days. At Sporting, he was part of a team that achieved a league and cup double in 2002, contributing significantly to the team's success.

Coaching Career

After retiring in 2004, Bento transitioned into coaching, starting with Sporting CP's youth team. His promotion to the first team came in 2005, where he quickly turned around the club's fortunes, leading them to multiple UEFA Champions League qualifications. He was known for nurturing young talents like Nani and João Moutinho. Bento later managed Olympiacos in Greece and the South Korean national team, achieving notable successes, including a league title and an international championship.

Legacy

Bento's legacy in football is marked by his dual success as both a player and a manager. He has won numerous titles, including the Taça de Portugal and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira as a manager, and has been recognized individually as a breakthrough coach. His contributions to Portuguese football, both on and off the pitch, have solidified his status as a respected figure in the sport.

Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed

Wikidata

Gallery

Career & Clubs

Career statistics

Club

▸ Source: Wikipedia

Playing career

Born in Lisbon, Bento played professionally in his homeland for Estrela da Amadora, Vitória de Guimarães and Benfica, and had a four-year abroad spell with Real Oviedo, helping the Spanish club always retain its La Liga status before moving to Sporting CP, where he finished his career. With the latter, he was part of the star-studded team that achieved the double in 2002 under the direction of Laszlo Bölöni, contributing 31 games and one goal in the Primeira Liga and playing alongside Mário Jardel and João Pinto among others. Bento earned 35 caps for the Portugal national team, debuting on 15 January 1992 in a 0–0 draw with Spain and making his last appearance in the 1–0 loss to South Korea on 14 June 2002 in the FIFA World Cup. He also played at UEFA Euro 2000 where, along with teammates Abel Xavier – who played with him at Oviedo for two seasons – and Nuno Gomes, he was suspended (in Bento's case for five months) due to bad behaviour, during the semi-final defeat against France.

▸ Source: Wikipedia

Coaching career

Sporting CP

After an emotional 2004 retirement, aged 35, Bento got the job of Sporting's youth team coach. He won the junior championship in 2005, and developed a base to the future. After the sacking of José Peseiro midway through 2005–06 season, he was promoted to first-team duties in spite of being relatively inexperienced. Despite a slow start, Bento managed an impressive turnaround of Sporting's fortunes in the second half of the campaign, as a series of ten consecutive wins placed them within distance of leaders and eventual league champions Porto, as the former went on to rank second in that and the following seasons, achieving direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League. He was responsible for bringing youth products Nani, João Moutinho and Miguel Veloso into the spotlight. Bento signed a new two-year contract in June 2007. His side had a turbulent pre-season in preparation for 2007–08, with defense mainstays Rodrigo Tello and Marco Caneira leaving the club while Portuguese international goalkeeper Ricardo was sold to Real Betis. With little resources to invest, the club brought Eastern promises – Marat Izmailov, Vladimir Stojković and Simon Vukčević – aboard. After a very irregular season, Bento managed to lead the team to an unprecedented third consecutive qualification for the Champions League, with another second-place finish in spite of spending most of the year below third, pipping Guimarães and Benfica in the final matchday. He also retained the…

▸ Source: Wikipedia

Club: Sporting CP (2000–2004)
Club: C.F. Estrela da Amadora (1989–1991)
Club: Vitória S.C. (1991–1994)
Club: Real Oviedo (1996–2000)
Club: CF Benfica (1988–1989)
Club: S.L. Benfica (1994–1996)
Club: Portugal men's national football team (1992–2002)
National team: Portugal

Legacy

Honours

Player

Estrela Amadora

Taça de Portugal: 1989–90 Benfica

Taça de Portugal: 1995–96 Sporting CP

Primeira Liga: 2001–02 Taça de Portugal: 2001–02 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2000, 2002

Manager

Sporting CP

Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2007–08 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008 Taça da Liga runner-up: 2007–08, 2008–09 Olympiacos

Super League Greece: 2016–17 South Korea

EAFF Championship: 2019 Individual

CNID Breakthrough Coach: 2005–06 Korean FA Coach of the Year: 2022

▸ Source: Wikipedia

Clubs

Played together with

Discussion

Opinions of fans — not verified facts.

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