Manager Candidate Profiles - Paulo Sousa

Age: 39

What Do We Know?

Paulo Sousa has only been linked to the job because of speculation and rumours with nothing reported about him in the media.

However, he has recently emerged as one of the favourites to take the job with SkyBet dramatically shortening their odds on him, making Sousa favourite at 2/5, followed by Gus Poyet at 5/2.

Playing Career

Sousa was a highly successful defensive midfielder who was excellent at maintaining possession and was particularly superb at long range passing.

He won 51 caps for Portugal, and was also a member of the squad that won the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

He played in Euro 96 and 2000, and also travelled to the 2002 World Cup but didn't make an appearance.

He started his professional career with Benfica in 1989 and in 1991 he won the National league with the club.

He then joined Sporting CP in 1993 where he spent a single season in midfield alongside Luis Figo. He joined Juventus in 1994, and won the Champions League with them in 1996 and the Domestic League in 1995. Other club honours include the Italian 1995, Supercup and 1995 UEFA Cup runners-up.

Sousa also had spells with Borussia Dortmund, where he won the Champions League a second time, beating his former club Juventus in the final, Inter Milan, Parma, Panathinaikos and Espanyol.

His career ended prematurely due to injury.

Coaching / Management Career

Sousa's coaching career began when he joined the Portugese national team, taking charge of the under-15s side. In 2008, he joined first team senior coach Carlos Quieroz as his assistant.

In November 2008, he took charge of a club for the first time, at fellow Championship side QPR. His stay was a short one however, as he was sacked in April for divulging sensitive information - which was Dexter Blackstock joining Forest on loan without him knowing.

In 26 games in charge, he won 7 (27%), lost 7, and drew 12.

With thanks to Vital QPR editor Adam Boxer, he provided his thoughts on Paulo Sousa:

Paulo Sousa was an emerging young manager who certainly had his own ideas on the game. Tactically he liked to mix it up a bit, we started off in a 4-4-2 diamond formation with wingers tucked inside, then we tried the 4-5-1 and 4-4-2 whenever he deemed it necessary.

He was still learning evidently and the amount of times he played a young Samuel Di Carmine up front on his own was very questionable as it evidently wasn't working. Saying that I was looking forward to pre-season and a new campaign under him because the signs were there that success could be in the offing with the right players.

His contract was terminated for divulging confidential information about the club - in other words telling a little too much to a supporter about specific players - the one that the media has lept on is Dexter Blackstock being loaned out without his permission - I'm not that sympathetic on that count because Dexter wasn't in his plans anyway.

I was bitterly disappointed when I heard that he went and it looks like he wants to pursue a career in the UK which is fantastic for him. A lot of other managers would just run back to Portugal or the continent in general, but fair play he wants to stick it out.

I'm sure if Paulo were to manage Swansea he would take on what Roberto has done and improve it - whether he gets the chance remains to be seen.

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