Paulo Duarte (footballer)

Paulo Jorge Rebelo Duarte (born 6 April 1969) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender, currently manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Kholood.

Paulo Duarte
Duarte as manager of Le Mans in 2009
Personal information
Full name Paulo Jorge Rebelo Duarte[1]
Date of birth (1969-04-06) 6 April 1969 (age 55)[1]
Place of birth Massarelos, Portugal[1]
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Al-Kholood (manager)
Youth career
1982–1987 Boavista
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 União Coimbra 26 (0)
1988–1991 União Leiria 90 (7)
1991–1993 Salgueiros 42 (2)
1993–1995 Marítimo 42 (2)
1995–2004 União Leiria 155 (4)
Total 355 (15)
Managerial career
2004–2006 União Leiria (assistant)
2006–2007 União Leiria
2008–2012 Burkina Faso
2009 Le Mans
2012–2013 Gabon
2015 Sfaxien
2015–2019 Burkina Faso
2020–2021 1º de Agosto
2021–2024 Togo
2024– Al-Kholood
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Burkina Faso (as manager)
Africa Cup of Nations
Bronze medal – third place 2017
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In a 17-year senior career, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 238 matches and eight goals over 12 seasons, representing mainly União de Leiria. He became a manager in 2006, also working with that club and later being in charge of the Burkina Faso, Gabon and Togo national teams.

Playing career

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Duarte was born in Massarelos, Porto District. After playing youth football for local Boavista F.C. and starting out as a senior at C.F. União de Coimbra, he signed for U.D. Leiria in 1988, also in the Segunda Liga.

Duarte then spent two years apiece with S.C. Salgueiros and C.S. Marítimo, making his Primeira Liga debut with the former and totalling 84 league games for those clubs. Subsequently, he returned to Leiria who now competed in the Portuguese top flight, retiring after almost one decade at the age of 34 and being first-choice in four of those seasons (in 2001–02, as the team qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, he was managed by young José Mourinho).[2][3]

Coaching career

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After his retirement, Duarte immediately began his managerial career, staying with his last club Leiria as assistant. In the tenth round of 2006–07's top division he was named coach of the first team after replacing Domingos Paciência, eventually helping them to finish seventh.[4]

In late 2007, Duarte left Leiria[5] and, a couple of months later, was appointed manager of Burkina Faso. On 2 June 2009, however, he was signed by France's Le Mans Union Club 72 on a two-year contract while still working with the national side.[6]

Duarte was fired by Le Mans on 8 December 2009, becoming the first Ligue 1 manager casualty in the season,[7] but still was on the bench for Burkina Faso's 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, exiting in the group stage after one draw and one loss (the team was in Togo's group). On 17 February 2012, following three matches and as many losses at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, he was dismissed.[8]

On 29 April 2012, Duarte was appointed interim coach of the Gabon national team. He was sacked on 23 September of the following year, after failing to qualify the country for both the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[9]

In late December 2015, after a brief club spell with Tunisia's CS Sfaxien, Duarte was again named manager of Burkina Faso.[10] He led the latter to the third place at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, after a 1–0 win against Ghana in Port-Gentil.[11]

On 24 July 2019, as the team did not make it to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals, the Burkinabé Football Federation decided to terminate Duarte's contract.[12] In September 2020, he was announced as the new head coach of Angolan side C.D. Primeiro de Agosto.[13]

Duarte became manager of Togo in May 2021, following the departure of Claude Le Roy. As a result of his commitments to Primeiro de Agosto the deal was only made effective in August, with Jonas Komla acting as caretaker until his arrival.[14]

Duarte returned to club duties in the 2024–25 season, being appointed at Al-Kholood Club who had just been promoted to the Saudi Pro League.[15]

Player eligibility controversy

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Duarte selected players to play for the Burkina Faso national team who he believed were eligible to play for the nation after they married Burkinabé women.[16] Namibia complained about the fielding of Cameroonian Herve Xavier Zengue in two 2012 AFCON qualifying games, stating that the player was not eligible under FIFA's statutes.[17]

Duarte also chose to play Zengue after the complaint was received by CAF, fielding him alongside Ghanaian-born Nii Plange in a 3–0 loss with South Africa in an August 2011 friendly.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Paulo Duarte at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Especial U. Leiria: Mourinho e o inseparável 4x3x3" [U. Leiria special: Mourinho and the inseparable 4x3x3] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 11 January 2002. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  3. ^ Moreira, Gonçalo (28 May 2011). "Paulo Duarte: "Mourinho sentenciou uma geração de treinadores"" [Paulo Duarte: "Mourinho put the final nail in the coffin of a generation of managers"] (in Portuguese). Relvado. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ^ Guerra, Marina (23 November 2019). "Jorge Jesus vence Taça dos Libertadores e mantém recorde na União de Leiria" [Jorge Jesus wins Libertadores Cup and keeps record at União de Leiria] (in Portuguese). Região de Leiria. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  5. ^ Paulo Duarte leaves Leiria; UEFA, 5 November 2007
  6. ^ Le Mans appoint Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte as new trainer; Goal, 2 June 2009
  7. ^ Le Mans sack coach Duarte; ESPN Soccernet, 10 December 2009
  8. ^ Burkina Faso coach gets the boot; BBC Sport, 17 February 2012
  9. ^ Paulo Duarte fired by Gabon; FIFA, 23 September 2013
  10. ^ Paulo Duarte volta a ser selecionador do Burkina Faso (Paulo Duarte is again head coach of Burkina Faso); Mais Futebol, 28 December 2015 (in Portuguese)
  11. ^ Burkina Faso 1–0 Ghana; BBC Sport, 4 February 2017
  12. ^ Kamou Malo to replace outgoing Paolo Duarte as Burkina Faso head coach; Goal, 24 July 2019
  13. ^ Júnior, José (17 September 2020). "Paulo Duarte assume a orientação da equipa sénior de futebol" [Paulo Duarte takes reins of senior football team] (in Portuguese). C.D. Primeiro Agosto. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Paulo Duarte named new Togo coach". BBC Sport. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  15. ^ "رسمياً.. البرتغالي باولو دوارتي مدرباً للخلود" [Portuguese Paulo Duarte is officially the manager of Al-Kholood] (in Arabic). Sabq. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  16. ^ The ‘Mourinho of Africa’; Kick Off, 3 August 2011
  17. ^ Namibia launch Burkina complaint; BBC Sport, 8 June 2011
  18. ^ Faso probe – Players boycotted call-up; Kick Off, 16 August 2011
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