Manuel Gomes (football manager)
Manuel Gonçalves Gomes, known as Professor Neca, is a Portuguese football manager and former midfielder. Born on 29 May 1951 in Barcelos, Portugal, he played as a midfielder in Portugal’s lower leagues for Paredes, Prado and Limianos from 1975 to 1981. He started coaching in 1979 as a player-coach at Prado and soon built a long career across Portuguese football.
Gomes managed a variety of clubs in Portugal, including Valdevez, Aves, Fafe, Felgueiras, Tirsense, Vitória de Setúbal, Famalicão, Paços de Ferreira and Braga. He spent two seasons as Benfica’s assistant manager (1994–1996). In 1996, he took charge of the Angola national team, guiding them to the 1998 African Cup of Nations. After further work with Portuguese clubs, he served as Portugal’s assistant coach in 2002.
His career then took him abroad: he led the Maldives national team from 2003 to 2005, worked in Canada with Hamilton Thunder in 2003, and later held roles in the Middle East and Asia. In India, he managed Churchill Brothers in 2011–2012, winning the Durand Cup in 2011. He also coached Ittihad FC, Trofense, and Desportivo das Aves, among others, and later held assistant or coaching roles with Arouca, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Vitória de Setúbal, Boavista and Marítimo.
Gomes is remembered for his extensive and varied international coaching career and his nickname, Professor Neca.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:48 (CET).