Carvalhal returns to coaching, to manage Famalicão after Celta stint

Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal is set to manage Famalicão for the upcoming season, marking his return to the club's dugout after a period away. The announcement by the Portuguese club highlights their pursuit of a coach with significant international experience and a notable connection to Spanish football, stemming from his tenure with Celta Vigo.

Carvalhal, 60, joins the Vila Nova de Famalicão team after a year off the sidelines, having concluded his third spell at Braga in May 2025. He takes on the challenge of solidifying the growth of a team that achieved its highest-ever Primeira Liga ranking last campaign, finishing fifth and narrowly missing out on European competition.

In Spain, Carvalhal is recognized for his time at Celta Vigo, where he replaced Eduardo Coudet in November 2022. He successfully guided the team to La Liga safety in the 2022-23 season's final matchday. Despite this achievement, the club opted not to extend his contract at the end of that season.

Carvalhal had recently expressed his continued interest in coaching in Spain and was linked with Almería. However, he will now continue his career in Portugal. Over his 25-year coaching career, he has managed clubs such as Leixões, Vitória de Setúbal, Braga, and Rio Ave, with whom he achieved the club's best-ever season by qualifying for the Europa League.

His international coaching experience includes leading Beşiktaş in Turkey, Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City in England, and Olympiacos in Greece. In England, he led Sheffield Wednesday to two consecutive promotion playoffs for the Premier League and eliminated Arsenal from the League Cup. With Swansea, he secured notable victories against Liverpool and Arsenal in the English top flight. Famalicão emphasized Carvalhal's expertise in developing sports projects and nurturing young talent, key elements for the club's future growth.