Portuguese football manager and former player (born 1992)
João Jorge Gândara Mendes Pereira (born 6 February 1992) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. He is the current manager of Primeira Liga side Casa Pia.
Playing career
Born in Coimbra,[1] Pereira represented local sides Académica de Coimbra and GR O Vigor da Mocidade [pt] as a youth. After spending one year as a coach of GD Mealhada [pt]'s under-7 sides, he was assigned as a member of the first team squad ahead of the 2011–12 season, but only featured for six minutes.
In 2013–14, Pereira played for futsal side Atómicos Sport Clube.
Managerial career
In 2012, Pereira became an assistant of Tó Miranda at Mealhada, before moving to Porto in 2014, as an assistant of the under-15 squad. He was also an assistant at Padroense's under-17 team before being named coach of Académica under-17s in January 2018.[2]
Pereira also coached Palmeiras FC's under-17 team before becoming an assistant of compatriot Luís Gonçalves at the Mozambique national team in August 2019. He left the latter in March 2021, after Gonçalves was sacked.[3]
On 26 June 2022, aged 30, Pereira was appointed manager of Liga 3 side Amora.[4] On 14 June 2023, after missing out promotion in the second stage, he left the club after refusing a contract renewal.[5]
On 24 June 2023, Pereira was announced as manager of Alverca also in the third division.[6] He won the 2023–24 Liga 3 with the side, becoming the youngest manager to win a national title in Portugal at the age of 32, and taking the club back to a professional division after a 19-year absence.[7] On 2 June 2024, however, he departed the side.[8]
On 19 June 2024, Pereira moved straight to Primeira Liga after being named at the helm of Casa Pia.[9] His first professional match occurred on 17 August, a 3–0 away loss to Benfica; he also became the second-youngest manager to debut in the top tier, only months behind André Villas-Boas (who were also 32 at the time of his debut in 2009).[2]
Honours
Manager
Alverca
References
External links