Ricardo Sá Pinto - The Lion Who Can't Be Tamed

Ricardo Sá Pinto is one of the craziest figures in football.

As a player, he was suspended for punching his national team manager.

As a manager, his story includes punching his own players to crocodiles eating dogs (Seriously).

His story isn't normal, but neither is he, because normal is boring.

For viewers of Liga Portugal, or older fans, Ricardo Sá Pinto is a familiar name. But to understand him as a manager, you need context: Sá Pinto the player was pure chaos and fire. A Sporting CP legend, nicknamed “Ricardo Coração de Leão” (Ricardo Lion Heart). 183 appearances, 37 goals, 1 league title, 3 Super Cups, 2 Cups.. But Most Importantly 39 yellow cards, and 3 red cards.

After leaving Sporting, he joined Real Sociedad and he kept the energy going: 20 yellow, 2 reds...in just 77 games.

His off-pitch fire peaked in 1998. Dropped from Portugal’s squad without explanation, Sá Pinto stormed into the national team camp, confronted coach Artur Jorge… and punched him. He was banned from all football for a year. Portugal didn't qualify without him and Artur Jorge was sacked.

Sá Pinto returned for EURO 2000 and the 2002 World Cup. But after five knee surgeries and constant injuries, he began preparing for life after football. He completed his coaching badges, degrees in business communication, marketing, sports management. He returned to Sporting in 2000 before leaving for Standard Liege in Belgium, retiring in 2007.

After retiring, He shadowed José Mourinho at Inter and Real Madrid, trying to become another one of Mourinho's famous students. Then came the real madness: his managerial career.

His first job outside playing: returning to his home in the Alvalade, becoming Sporting’s Director of Football. However... It wasn't the homecoming he wanted, he only lasted two months. Why? He hit Liedson in the dressing room after a Taca De Portugal match. The story goes, Sá Pinto was berating a then teenage Rui Patricio for a mistake he made in a win against Mafra. Liedson, one of the teams senior figures, tried to calm the situation down and argued with the Sporting director. But in typical "Ricardo Coração de Leão" fashion, Liedson ended up being on the receiving end of a famous Sá Pinto right hook. As a result Sá Pinto was forced to resign, an awful way for a club legend to go out.

The lion would become a student, as Sá Pinto would become an assistant manager to future Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha at União de Leiria. However just after 25 games, he would get his first job as the main manager, returning to his home once again, managing the Sporting U19's. The results under Sá Pinto could hardly have been better: in the championship, Sporting was the only team without a defeat in the first phase; in the "Next Series" (Now known as the Uefa Youth League), after demolishing the group stage (five wins and a draw with Liverpool, Wolfsburg and Molde), the young 'lions' were eliminated in inglorious fashion in the quarter-finals by Inter.

However the main team were not doing as well, and in February 2012, Domingos Paciência was sacked after 35 games, 19 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses. His replacement? "Ricardo Coração de Leão" but only on an iterim basis till the end of the season. he squad was past it ,Postiga, Bojinov, Evaldo, Onyewu. But he won 9 of his first 12 games. Then came the Europa League miracle run. They scraped past Legia… then drew Manchester City who won the Premier League that season... Sá Pinto won the first leg 1–0 thanks to a back-heel from defender Xandão. In Manchester, Sporting went 2–0 up! City scored three in 22 minutes, Joe Hart almost scored a 95th-minute header. But it Finished 3–2. With that, Sporting advanced on away goals. A rookie manager eliminating a experienced Mancini. Something straight out of a sports movie.

They reached the Europa League semis and the Portuguese Cup final. They would be knocked out in the Europa League by Bilbao. Although the Portuguese Cup final looked like an easy win on paper, it was just Académica after all... But of course, in typical Sporting fashion, they lost in the final to Académica, who weirdly had 2 sporting loanee players, who competed in the match, and beat their parent club, in Adrien and Cedric.

Despite the poor end to the season, Ricardo Sá Pinto earned a 2-year deal… But then was sacked by October next season. In his first 6 games in the league, he had only won once, drew 3 and lost once. He was sacked after Sporting lost 3-0 to a team from Hungary, Fehérvár, or as they were known at the time, "Videoton" in the Europa League. Managed by Portuguese manager Paulo Sousa, and included Caneira, who used to play for Sporting, and Stopira, who still plays, and beat Sporting in the final of 2026's Taca De Portugal, with Torreense.

Then began the Ricardo Sá Pinto World Tour™.

Stop 1: Red Star Belgrade (19/03/2013 - 30/06/2013) - 3 Months

He was appointed on the 19th of March 2013 and won 8 straight matches and nearly caught eventual winners Partizan, but quit after four months in June because the club couldn’t sign players. "I came to win trophies, not manage debt." he said in a press conference. (Should Be Noted: after he left, Red Star Won The League)

Stop 2: OFI Crete (16/10/2013 - 30/06/2014) - 8 Months

A solid spell, finished 6th. Sa Pinto, worked his magic. That season, he won 15 games, drew 7 and lost 12, and finished in a respectable 6th place. However, when his contract expired in the summer, OFI Crete opted not to renew it.

Stop 3: Still in Greece with Atromitos (25/09/2014 - 05/02/2015) - 4 Months

Beat Olympiacos in his first match. But after 5 months Sá Pinto... resigned? After a defeat to Olympiacos in the return game had Atormitos in 9th, he handed in his resignation, and it was accepted.

Stop 4: Back in Portugal with Belenenses (01/07/2015 - 15/12/2015) - 5 Months

And he made history! He qualified for the Europa League group stage. But by December the team was 13th and out of the Europa league. He resigned in December after a 4–3 loss to Académica. The Beleneses President begged him to stay. He didn’t.

Stop 5: His first outside of Europe! Saudi Arabia (before it was cool) with Al-Fateh (01/07/2016 - 23/09/2016) - 2 Months

The money in Saudi was no where near what it was now, with the only player of note, being Portugese winger Ukra. After just 4 games, Sa Pinto would be sacked. With Al-Fateh in last place.

Stop 6: Return to Atromitos (06/02/2017 - 30/06/2017) - 4 Months

He would win 5 games in the league Finishing in 8th place and in the quarter finals respectively. But he would finally have some stability, as Atromitos renewed his contract. He Would Say "The new year is going to be a great challenge for all of us"

So how did he manage to improve the team, and be up for the challenge? Well he didn’t. Despite the ink still being wet on the contract, he left for...

Stop 7: Standard Liège (01/07/2017 - 30/06/2018) - 11 Months

This might have been a shock, but as mentioned before, Sá Pinto played for Standard actually ending his career in Belgium. Sá Pinto was not the club’s first choice for the position, former Aston Villa boss Remi Garde had been linked to the post. However Sá Pinto: Won the Belgian Cup, finished 2nd & qualified for UCL qualifiers. Most importantly, he completed his first full Season in management!

But... Was Sacked. He was succeeded by Belgian Legend, Michel Preud'homme.

Stop 8: Legia Warszawa (13/08/2018 - 01/04/2019) - 7 Months

Despite being in second place, six points behind Lechia Gdansk. Sa Pinto was sacked, After a 4-0 defeat to Wisla Krakow

If you are not keeping count, since becoming a head coach, the then 46-year-old has taken 9 jobs in seven years, spanning five counties, and 2 continents. But he would weirdly fall upwards some might say, as 3 months later, he joined...

Stop 9: Braga (03/07/2019 - 23/12/2019) - 5 Months

The Braga squad was stacked, Joao Palhinha, Ricardo Horta, Trincao, just to name a few. He Excelled in Europa League, qualifying for the round of 16 with 8 wins and only 2 draws. But in the League he was sat in 8th place. And he was sacked. Replaced by some guy called, Ruben Amorim? Not sure if he'll ever become anything...

Stop 10: Vasco da Gama (14/10/2020 - 29/12/2020) - 2 Months

A fiery manager in a fiery league, what could go wrong? Well 15 games. 3 wins. Sacked. He called midfielder Benítez a “bum” and had this gem... “In Training we had a dog who was there every day. The next day he was missing a leg. A ball fell back down the back of the training ground, when i went to get it, I saw an alligator ate his paw”

Stop 11: Gaziantep FK (21/01/2021 - 30/06/2021) - 5 Months

Sá Pinto took over from Marius Smudica as the head coach of Gaziantep. Within four months, poor performances led Smudica to comment: "I left a Formula One car to him and he’s driving it like a tractor." The President of Gazintep resigned, and & Sá Pinto left too.

Stop 12: Back in Portugal with Moreirense (06/01/2022 - 30/06/2022) - 5 Months

And he got relegated. Sá Pinto received a 1 month ban from the League due to verbal abuse directed at a referee, missing the relegation playoffs. the league would say his suspension was for "Damaging the honour and reputation of an official with slanderous accusations." At least no punches were thrown this time.

Stop 13: Back to Asia with Esteghlal FC (Iran) (01/07/2022 - 30/06/2023) - 11 Months

Sá Pinto won the Super Cup, built the league’s best attack, reached the cup final and won Manager of the Year… then wasn’t renewed. He also got a 4-month ban for spitting at the 4th official.

Stop 14: APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus) (01/07/2023 - 30/06/2024) - 11 Months

On October 6th Sá Pinto was given a four-month touchline ban. An Anorthosis fan shouted “f**k your mother.”. Sá Pinto went at him, clashed with the opposition manager Marinos Mitrou in the chaos. Despite this ban, Ricardo Sá Pinto won the league! His first league title as a manager. Best attack, best defence. However, his contract not was not renewed.

Stop 15: Raja Casablanca (Morocco) (10/10/2024 - 20/12/2024) - 2 Months

He would then move to the White House! No not in America, but for Raja Casablanca in Morocco.He only lasted four months. Resigned due to “personal reasons” and lack of conditions to win titles. Club disputed this and said the results were poor and he was actually sacked.

Stop 16: The return to Esteghlal 01/07/2025 - 20/02/2026) - 7 Months

He went back to Iran with Esteghlal. He signed the SAME WEEK Iran struck U.S. bases as tensions escalated. His words: “Peace will return.” He even brought former Real Madrid and Sporting keeper Antonio Adán… who conceded 7 in one match. The Tehran-based club had publicly expressed confidence in Sa Pinto, signaling stability for the club. However, a sudden change of direction has brought his tenure to an abrupt end. The decision follows a disappointing spell, highlighted by Esteghlal’s elimination from the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Two.

Under Sa Pinto, the Blues showed moments of promise but struggled for consistency, particularly on the continental stage where expectations were high. Their early exit raised concerns among fans and club officials alike.

After being sacked. He spoke out about the situation in Iran during his final weeks in the country, calling it “unacceptable” in an interview with the Portuguese media outlet RTP. Sá Pinto, shared his views on the country’s internal conditions. He said, “Living with so many restrictions and a lack of freedom is unacceptable. There is no freedom of expression in Iran, and the social pressures are indescribable.” He described everyday life in Iran as a “constant challenge” for its people. Referring to the January protests, he claimed that “more than 20,000 people” were killed, calling the situation a “catastrophe” and adding that young Iranians are facing serious struggles in trying to continue their lives in the country.

Sá Pinto acknowledged Iran’s “great history and culture” and said he would not completely rule out returning in the future if conditions improved.

Stop 17: Pafos (28/04/2026 - Present Day)

Not even an hour after the announcement of the sacking of Albert Celades, the club announced the hiring of Ricardo Sá Pinto. Pafos come of the back of a Champions League campaign, winning an impressive 3 games and 3 draws, finishing level on points with Bodø/Glimt, Benfica, Marseille and Union SG. Having players such as David Luiz, Mislav Orsic and a few Portuguese players in there too.

Sá Pinto was in charge for the last 6 games of the season, winning 3, drawing 1 and losing 2. and Pafos finished 4th in the league. Sá Pinto's first rumored signing... Biel... From Sporting. Last at Brazil on loan at Atlético Mineiro, where fans have created a website to track his minutes, hoping he does not reach 33% which would make his loan permanent for €7 M.

Ricardo Sá Pinto may have not had the dream coaching career, as his average term as a coach is 0.52 years. But he’s gone to manage in countries on the brink of war, clubs with no money, and has a CV that has 3 different continents, and i think that's pretty cool.

Socials:

X:

Sporting Podcast: