Paulo Sérgio (footballer, born 1968)
Paulo Sérgio Bento Brito, commonly known as Paulo Sérgio (born 19 February 1968 in Estremoz, Portugal), is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a forward and later became a football manager.
Playing career
- Paulo Sérgio spent most of his playing career in Portugal, with teams including Olivais e Moscavide, Vilafranquense, Belenenses, Paços de Ferreira, Salgueiros, Vitória de Setúbal, Feirense, Santa Clara, Estoril, and Olhanense.
- He also spent a season in France with Grenoble (1998-99), in the French fourth tier.
- In the Primeira Liga, he appeared 86 times and scored 18 goals across seven seasons. His overall senior career lasted about 17 years, totaling around 331 appearances and 118 goals.
Coaching career
- Paulo Sérgio began coaching in 2003, starting at Olhanense, then moving to Santa Clara, Beira-Mar, Paços de Ferreira, Vitória de Guimarães, and Sporting CP.
- He became manager of Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) in Scotland in 2011, winning the Scottish Cup in the 2011-12 season.
- His later clubs included CFR Cluj (Romania), APOEL (Cyprus; won the Cypriot Super Cup in 2013), Académica, and several teams in the Middle East and Portugal, such as Dibba Al-Fujairah, Sanat Naft Abadan, Al Taawoun, Portimonense, and Al-Okhdood.
- He left Portimonense in 2024, took charge of Al-Okhdood in 2025, and was dismissed in January 2026.
Honours
- Playing honours: Taça de Portugal with Belenenses (1988-89); Segunda Divisão with Santa Clara (1997-98, South); Championnat National 2 with Grenoble (1998-99).
- Coaching honours: Scottish Cup with Hearts (2011-12); Cypriot Super Cup with APOEL (2013).
Paulo Sérgio Bento Brito had a long career as a player mainly in Portugal and later built a diverse coaching résumé across several countries, including a Scottish Cup win with Hearts and a Cypriot Super Cup with APOEL.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 22:53 (CET).