Jose Peseiro is a Portuguese football manager and former player who played as a forward. He is the current manager of the Nigeria national team.
Peseiro started his coaching career in the lower divisions of Portuguese football, before leading Nacional to the top flight in 2002. He then worked as an assistant to Carlos Queiroz at Real Madrid, and later became the manager of Sporting CP, where he reached the 2005 UEFA Cup final.
Peseiro has also coached several clubs in Saudi Arabia, Greece, Romania, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. He had two brief spells at Porto and Sporting CP, and also managed the Saudi Arabia and Venezuela national teams. He was appointed as the Nigeria manager in May 2022, succeeding Gernot Rohr.
Jose Peseiro Early Life and Education
Jose Peseiro was born on 4 April 1960 in Coruche, a small town in the Santarém District of Portugal. He grew up in a modest family, with his father working as a farmer and his mother as a housewife. He had two brothers and a sister, who shared his passion for football.
Peseiro started playing football at a young age, joining the local club Coruchense when he was 17. He played as a forward, showing good skills and speed. He soon attracted the attention of bigger clubs, and moved to Cartaxo in 1979, where he spent one season.
Peseiro continued his football career in the lower divisions of Portuguese football, playing for several teams such as Oriental, Amora, Samora Correia, Torreense, União Santarém, and Alcanenense.
He never reached the top flight, but he gained valuable experience and knowledge of the game. He also balanced his football career with his studies, pursuing a degree in physical education at the University of Lisbon.
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Jose Peseiro Career
Jose Peseiro began his coaching career in the lower divisions of Portuguese football, where he spent eight years managing various clubs. He achieved his first major success with Nacional, leading them to promotion to the Primeira Liga in 2002 and securing a mid-table finish in 2003.
In 2003, he joined Real Madrid as an assistant to Carlos Queiroz, but the pair was sacked after a disappointing season that saw the team finish fourth in La Liga and exit the Champions League in the quarter-finals.
Peseiro returned to Portugal in 2004, taking charge of Sporting CP. He guided them to a third-place finish in the league and a memorable run to the UEFA Cup final, where they lost 3–1 to CSKA Moscow. However, he resigned in October 2005 after a poor start to the new season.
Peseiro then embarked on a journey across several countries, coaching clubs in Saudi Arabia, Greece, Romania, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. He also had two brief spells at Porto and Sporting CP, but failed to replicate his previous achievements. He won his only trophy as a manager with Al Ahly, lifting the Egyptian Super Cup in 2015.
Peseiro also ventured into international management, taking over the Saudi Arabia national team in 2009 and the Venezuela national team in 2020. He qualified the former for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, where they reached the semi-finals, but resigned before the tournament. He left the latter after less than two years, citing personal reasons.
In May 2022, Peseiro was appointed as the manager of the Nigeria national team, succeeding Gernot Rohr. He faced the challenge of leading the Super Eagles to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were expected to compete for the titles.
Jose Peseiro Personal Life, Wife and Kids
Jose Peseiro is married to Fatima, who has been his supportive partner throughout his coaching career. They have two children, a son named Vitor and a daughter named Susana.
Vitor is a footballer who plays as a midfielder for Portuguese club C.D. Nacional, where his father coached in the past. He made his professional debut in 2019 and has represented Portugal at various youth levels.
Susana is an actress who has appeared in several films and television shows, such as “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão”, “The Queen of the South” and “The Gifted”. She is also a fan of the Nigeria national team, and often accompanies her father to their matches.
Jose Peseiro Net Worth
Jose Peseiro’s net worth is estimated to be around $5 million as of 2024.
