Wednesday 1 July 2015 15:44, UK
Sheffield Wednesday have appointed the first non-British manager in their 148-year history so who is Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal?
The 49-year-old takes over from Stuart Gray who spent 18 months in charge of the club.
It is believed the social-media savvy manager, as shown by his Twitter account, is a good friend to Jose Mourinho and was believed to be consulted by Sheffield Wednesday’s Thai owners before making the appointment.
Carvalhal has mainly coached in his native Portugal with brief spells in Greece and Turkey, but who exactly is the manager who has been in charge of 14 clubs, and not coached for three years?
Here is all you need to know about the new Sheffield Wednesday boss.
Carvalhal’s background
Carvalhal was a former centre back at Braga and Portugal U21 international. His first step in management began in 1998 at the last club he played for – second tier Espinho where he was dismissed after two seasons in charge.
Stints at fellow second division club Freamunde and relegated Aves from the top flight led him to become manager of Segunda B side Leixoes, who he took to the Portuguese Cup final in his first year in charge. The achievement made him the first coach in the country to take a team from the third tier to the UEFA Cup.
After his dismissal in 2003, Carvalhal took Vitoria Setubal back to the top flight after just one season in charge.
He had spells at three other Portuguese clubs before returning to Vitoria for the 2007/08 season, lifting them to sixth to clinch UEFA Cup qualification and also win their first ever domestic League Cup.
Carvalhal then had a brief time in Greece before he landed the Sporting Lisbon job in mid-November 2009 on a one-year contract.
He took them to fourth place and left the club at the end of the season. His next job in management did not arrive until 2011 when Carvalhal was appointed caretaker manager of Turkish giants Besiktas. He replaced Tayfur Havutcu, who had to resolve his legal issues following the 2011 Turkish sports corruption scandal.
Besiktas finished fourth and reached the Europa League round of 16. While at Besiktas, Carvalhal wrote a coaching manual at the time which can be seen on his very own website: www.coachcarvalhal.com.
Once his season at Besiktas was over, Carvalhal managed Istanbul Baskasehir but his time in charge was short-lived as the season ended in relegation.
Since then he has been the technical director at Dubai-based club Al Ahli. It has been quite a journey to Sheffield for Carvalhal.
His objectives
Sheffield Wednesday’s Thai owner/chairman Dejphon Chansiri made it clear when sacking Stuart Gray that the club’s ambition is to reach the Premier League.
Since Sheffield Wednesday returned to the Championship, after two years in League One - in 2012 - Wednesday has finished 18th, 16th and 13th.
Every year results-wise suggests a slight improvement but now top 10 must surely be the requirement if Carvalhal wishes to stay in the job for more than a season.
It is not yet known whether Carvalhal can speak English but if not, he may look to rely on the help of his experienced compatriots Jose Semedo and Filipe Melo to get his ideas across to the players.
Last season, Sheffield Wednesday conceded fewer goals outside of the top six than any other team so defensive solidity does not seem to be a concern, yet goal-scoring has been a greater issue.
Atdhe Nuhiu was Wednesday’s top scorer last season with eight league goals, tied with midfielder Chris Maguire. Carvalhal’s first priority may be to make a striker the club’s marquee signing this summer.
What have they said?
“I have coached big teams in Europe like Sporting and Besiktas and played in the Europa League but my child’s dream has always been to coach in England," Carvalhal told the club's official website.
“To come to England and to a club like Sheffield Wednesday is amazing. I’m excited and I want to win the trust of our massive fans.”
"I have coached big teams in Europe...but my child’s dream has always been to coach in England."
“The new owner has a big project for Sheffield Wednesday. He knows what he wants and the way to go there."
Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri said: "I firmly believe that this appointment will take our team and our club to the next level and towards where we all want to be, the Premier League.
“It is important for our supporters that they watch their team play attractive, aggressive and entertaining football.
“Carlos buys in completely to this philosophy and I am confident that his experience, knowledge and ability will herald the start of a successful new era for Sheffield Wednesday.”
