By Chris Wright [email protected]
After just 12 months in charge, Sérgio Conceição has left Premier Liga outfit Olhanense.
The former Portugal international – he was capped 56 times and received international acclaim when he scored all three goals in the 3-0 victory over Germany in the UEFA Euro 2000 Championships – has had a tempestuous time with the Olhão-based club.
After taking the team to a top-half finish at the end of last season, he had a public falling-out with President Isidoro Sousa over the recruitment of new players. The two patched up their differences but recent financial constraints have resulted in the fiery young manager, three touchline bans to his name, deciding to move on.
Rumours are that Sérgio Conceição could be on his way to Hungarian club Videoton where manager Paulo Sousa resigned last Monday. Former Portuguese international Sousa previously managed QPR, Swansea and Leicester City.
Manuel Cajuda returns home
Twenty-four hours later and Manuel Cajuda, who was born in Olhão 61 years ago, was unveiled as the new manager of SC Olhanense. He joined the ‘rubro-negros’ as a youth team player and made his senior debut in 1971 before joining SC Farense.Cajuda’s managerial career includes spells at Olhanense, Marítimo, V.Guimarães and SC Braga, where he led them to fourth place in the UEFA Cup in 1997 and 2001. He was also responsible for discovering young talent such as Tiago (Atletico Madrid and formerly Chelsea), Danny (Zenith), Quim (SC Braga), André Almeida (Benfica), Ricardo Rocha and Hugo Almeida (Besiktas).
His assistant Rui Nascimento was capped five times for Portugal whilst with Vitória Guimarães before joining FC Porto. Manuel Cajuda said at the press conference: “It is very good to return home. Thank you for welcoming me back and I hope for great times for Olhanense.”
