Ricardo Manuel Andrade Silva Sá Pinto, born in October 1972 in Porto, is an emblematic figure of Portuguese football, having left his mark on both his playing and coaching careers. He began his football career in the 90s, standing out for his determination and passionate temperament, qualities that have always accompanied him.
Sá Pinto began his professional career at SC Salgueiros before joining the club of his heart, Sporting Portugal, in 1994. He quickly established himself as a versatile and combative attacker, capable of playing both in support of the attack and on the wings. He played for Sporting during two periods (1994-1997 and 2000-2006) with 173 matches and 39 goals scored, interspersed with a spell at Real Sociedad in Spain with 77 matches and 6 goals. Ricardo also played for Standard Liège in Belgium, where he ended his playing career, wearing the jersey 26 times and scoring only 2 goals.
On the international scene, Sá Pinto was capped 45 times for the Portugal national team, scoring 10 goals. He participated in the 1996 and 2000 Euros as well as qualifying for the World Cup. However, his career has not been without hiccups. In 1997, he was suspended for nine months after attacking Portuguese national team coach Artur Jorge, which temporarily hampered his career in the national team.
Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to play alongside legends such as Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and, later, Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he rubbed shoulders with at Sporting Portugal, when the latter was beginning his professional career. .
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The transition to a coaching career
After hanging up his boots in 2007, Sá Pinto quickly turned to a coaching career. He started as an assistant at UD Leiria during the 2010-2011 season, before getting his first big opportunity in 2012 when taking the reins of Sporting Portugal. Under his leadership, the club reached the final of the Portuguese Cup and the semi-finals of the Europa League, losing to Athletic Bilbao (1-2, 3-1).
Since then, Sá Pinto has coached in numerous countries and championships, making him a traveling technician. He has managed teams in Greece (OFI Crete, Atromitos FC), Belgium (Standard de Liège), Turkey (Gaziantep), Poland (Legia Warsaw), Brazil (CR Vasco da Gama), Cyprus (APOEL Nicosia). ), in Iran (Esteghlal FC) and Saudi Arabia (Al-Fateh). In Portugal, he also managed Braga SC, Moreirense FC and Belenenses SAD.
In terms of track records, although Sá Pinto didn’t win many major titles, he still picked up a few trophies. He won the Belgian Cup in 2018 with Standard Liège, the Iranian Super Cup in 2020 with Esteghlal FC, and more recently, the Cyprus championship in 2024 with APOEL Nicosia.
A new adventure in Raja
At the head of the Aigles Verts, Ricardo Sá Pinto’s mission is clear: keep Raja at the top of national competitions and aim for a good performance in the CAF Champions League, where the club hopes to clinch its fourth title in the most important competition. prestigious on the African continent.
This Moroccan adventure represents a new page in the career of Sá Pinto, who will be keen to leave a lasting mark in the history of the Raja of Casablanca.
By Anas Zabari
09/10/2024 at 1:55 p.m.
