Born: 5 March 1973
Nationality: Portuguese (citizenship in Portugal and Mozambique)
Place of birth: Nampula, Mozambique
Debut season as manager: 2007/2008
Current Club: AC Milan
Contract: 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2027
Titles as manager:
FC Porto:
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira 2013
SC Braga:
- Taça de Portugal 2015/2016
Shakhtar Donetsk:
- Ukrainian Premier League 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019
- Ukrainian Cup 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019
- Ukrainian Super Cup 2017, 2018, 2019
Other Achievements as manager:
- Ukrainian Premier League Best Coach 2016/2017
- 5th-place finish in Serie A with AS Roma 2019–20
- UEFA Europa League semi-final with AS Roma 2020–21
Managerial Career:
Paulo Fonseca is a Portuguese football manager known for his fluid attacking style, tactical flexibility, and success across different leagues in Europe. Fonseca has managed clubs in Portugal, Ukraine, and Italy, with his most notable stents being with Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and AS Roma in Italy. His teams are recognized for their attractive, possession-based football, emphasizing technical quality and offensive creativity.
Fonseca began his managerial career in his native Portugal, where he worked his way through several lower-league teams before getting opportunities in the top flight.
Fonseca’s first major success came at Paços de Ferreira, where he led the small club to an impressive 3rd-place finish in the 2012–13 Primeira Liga season. This achievement earned Paços qualification for the UEFA Champions League playoffs, a remarkable feat for a club of their size. His success with Paços de Ferreira put Fonseca on the radar of Portugal’s bigger clubs.
Following his breakthrough season with Paços, Fonseca was appointed as the manager of FC Porto, one of Portugal’s top clubs, in 2013. However, his time at Porto was relatively short-lived. Despite a strong start, the team’s performance dipped during the season, and Fonseca struggled to meet the high expectations. He was dismissed in March 2014 with Porto in third place, well behind leaders Benfica.
After spells with smaller clubs, Fonseca rebuilt his reputation at SC Braga. He led Braga to a 4th-place finish in the 2015–16 Primeira Liga and guided the team to victory in the 2016 Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup), beating Porto in the final. This success established him as one of Portugal’s brightest coaching talents.
Fonseca’s biggest managerial success came during his three-year tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. Appointed in 2016, Fonseca enjoyed tremendous domestic success and enhanced his reputation in European competitions.
Fonseca’s Shakhtar was known for its attacking style of play, with the team often dominating possession and focusing on technical, fast-paced football. He also made a strong impression in the UEFA Champions League, notably leading Shakhtar to the round of 16 in 2017–18, eliminating clubs like Napoli in the group stage.
Fonseca’s Shakhtar teams often featured Brazilian attacking talents like Fred, Bernard, Taison, and Marlos, who thrived in his system. His ability to integrate flair and discipline, particularly with South American players, was a hallmark of his success at the club.
In 2019, Fonseca was appointed head coach of AS Roma in Serie A, tasked with revitalizing the team and guiding them back to the top of Italian football. Fonseca’s Roma played an attractive, attacking brand of football, often lining up in a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation. Fonseca’s Roma often impressed with their attacking fluidity, but they struggled with defensive consistency, which ultimately limited their ability to challenge for major trophies. His inability to stabilize the defense, coupled with inconsistent results in Serie A, led to his departure in May 2021 after two seasons.
In 2022, Fonseca took over as manager of Lille in France’s Ligue 1. He was tasked with guiding the club back to European competition after a period of rebuilding. Fonseca’s tenure at Lille has continued his philosophy of playing positive, possession-based football, with an emphasis on developing young talents and competing with Ligue 1’s top clubs, such as Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille. In June 2024 AC Milan appointed Paolo Fonseca as their new manager after the departure of Stefano Pioli. The pre-season under Fonseca looked good and was very promising however when the league started in August the results and performances of the Rossoneri were everything else than impressive. This led to rumors of Fonseca´s dismissal at the club, however a win in the derby against arch-rivals Inter seem to have turned the tables in the favor of the Portuguese – at least for now.
System of Play:
Fonseca is known for his attacking football philosophy, favoring possession-based play, fluidity, and technical creativity. His tactical approach is adaptable, often depending on the squad’s characteristics and the league in which he’s working.
- Preferred Formations:
- 4-2-3-1: A common setup under Fonseca, where two holding midfielders provide balance and cover for a dynamic front four, often composed of wingers, a central playmaker, and a lone striker.
- 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2: During his time at Roma, Fonseca frequently employed a three-man defense, with wing-backs providing width and support in attack. This formation allowed more flexibility for creative players to operate between the lines.
- High Press and Ball Retention: Fonseca’s teams often press aggressively, looking to win the ball high up the pitch. He emphasizes quick transitions from defense to attack and prefers his teams to dominate possession. His sides are typically well-drilled in building out from the back, with center-backs playing a key role in initiating attacks.
- Attacking Fluidity: Fonseca’s offensive play is characterized by fluid movement and interchange between attacking players. His wingers and full-backs/wing-backs are crucial in creating width, while central players are encouraged to combine through intricate passing moves. At Roma, he relied heavily on creative players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Jordan Veretout to link play between midfield and attack.
- Tactical Adaptability: While he prefers offensive football, Fonseca is tactically flexible. He adjusts his system based on the opponent and the available personnel. For example, at Shakhtar, he played a more expansive, dominant game in domestic competitions, but in Europe, against tougher opposition, he would switch to a more pragmatic approach, focusing on defensive organization and counter-attacking.
- Defensive Fragility: Despite his attacking philosophy, Fonseca has faced criticism for his teams’ defensive vulnerabilities. At Roma, his inability to consistently organize the defense and prevent goals, particularly in big matches, was a recurring issue. His teams sometimes struggled to maintain balance between attack and defense, leading to mixed results.
Leadership and Man-Management:
Fonseca is regarded as a calm and composed manager who communicates well with his players. His ability to develop young talent, especially attacking players, has been a strong suit throughout his career. Players like Fred (at Shakhtar), Lorenzo Pellegrini (at Roma), and others have thrived under his guidance.
Fonseca is known for fostering a positive dressing-room atmosphere, and his calm demeanor allows him to handle pressure effectively, even in challenging environments like Roma or Shakhtar.
Summary:
Paulo Fonseca is a progressive manager with a clear attacking philosophy built around possession, pressing, and fluid movement. His most successful period came with Shakhtar Donetsk, where he won multiple domestic titles and impressed in Europe. At Roma, he delivered an exciting brand of football but struggled with defensive consistency, which limited his success in Serie A. Now at Lille, Fonseca continues to build his reputation as a tactician focused on offensive football while aiming for success in France.