Rui Borges
Portuguese football manager (born 1981)
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Rui Manuel Gomes Borges (born 7 July 1981) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Primeira Liga club Sporting CP. He played as a winger for several clubs in Portugal, before starting a managerial career in 2017. In 2023 he broke into the Primeira Liga as head coach of Moreirense, and also coached Vitória de Guimarães before joining his current club, Sporting CP, in December 2024. He led Sporting CP to the 2024–25 Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal titles.
|
Borges with Sporting CP in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rui Manuel Gomes Borges | ||
| Date of birth | 7 July 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Mirandela, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting CP (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–2000 | Mirandela | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2001 | Bragança | 12 | (4) |
| 2001–2002 | Paredes | 36 | (1) |
| 2002–2004 | Braga B | 40 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Mirandela | ||
| 2005–2007 | Bragança | ||
| 2007–2008 | Trofense | 7 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Moreirense (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Moreirense | 16 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Mirandela | 91 | (26) |
| 2012–2013 | Famalicão | 29 | (2) |
| 2013 | Freamunde | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Bragança | 56 | (8) |
| 2015–2017 | Mirandela | 53 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2019 | Mirandela | ||
| 2019–2020 | Académico de Viseu | ||
| 2020–2021 | Académica | ||
| 2021–2022 | Nacional | ||
| 2022–2023 | Vilafranquense | ||
| 2023 | Mafra | ||
| 2023–2024 | Moreirense | ||
| 2024 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| 2024– | Sporting CP | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
A youth graduate of hometown club Mirandela, Borges made his senior debut with Bragança during the 2000–01 Segunda Divisão B. He subsequently represented Paredes and Braga B in the same division, before returning to Mirandela in 2004, with the club in Terceira Divisão.
In June 2007, after another stint at Bragança, Borges signed for Segunda Liga side Trofense.[1] He made his professional debut on 4 August, starting in a 2–1 home win over Feirense for the season's Taça da Liga, but only featured rarely and was subsequently loaned to third division club Moreirense in January 2008.
Borges signed a permanent deal with Moreirense after his loan spell, but returned to Mirandela in 2009. He scored a career-best 12 goals during the 2010–11 season, helping in the club's promotion to the third level after two years.
On 6 June 2012, Borges agreed to a contract with Famalicão.[2] After being regularly used, he moved to Freamunde in June 2013, but left in September to return to Bragança.[3]
In July 2015, Borges was announced back at his first club Mirandela.[4] He was a regular starter during his two-year spell, and retired in June 2017, aged 35.
Coaching career
Early career
Immediately after retiring, Borges took up coaching at his last club Mirandela.[5] On 5 February 2019, he left to take over second division side Académico de Viseu.[6]
Borges left Viseu on a mutual agreement on 11 July 2020,[7] and was named in charge of fellow league team Académica de Coimbra in the following day.[8] On 22 September 2021, after seven winless matches into the new season, he was sacked,[9] but was appointed Nacional manager just hours later.[10]
Borges announced his departure from Nacional on 18 May 2022,[11] and replaced Filipe Gouveia at the helm of Vilafranquense nine days later.[12] He resigned from the club on 7 February 2023, after having discrepancies with the board,[13] and was named manager of Mafra three days later.[14]
Moreirense
Borges left Mafra on 1 June 2023,[15] and was announced as manager of Primeira Liga side Moreirense on 4 July.[16] On his top-flight debut on 14 August, the team lost 2–1 at home to Porto.[17]
On 5 December 2023, with Moreirense sitting in sixth place in the Primeira Liga, having recently secured a 0–0 draw with Benfica at the Estádio da Luz, Borges signed a three-year contract extension.[18] He finished the campaign in that position, the club's best-ever inputs in the top tier.[19]
Vitória de Guimarães
After being linked to Vitória de Guimarães' vacant managerial role,[20] Borges signed a two-year contract with the club on 28 May 2024.[21] He led the side to an unbeaten status in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, winning all six matches of the qualifying rounds and totalling four wins and two draws in the league phase.[22]
Sporting CP
On 26 December 2024, Borges was presented as new manager of Sporting CP.[23] The club reportedly paid a €4.1 million fee for his transfer.[24] He successfully defended Sporting's title after Ruben Amorim's departure and João Pereira's troubled period as Sporting's manager.
Managerial statistics
- As of 11 March 2026[25]
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Mirandela | 27 June 2017 | 5 February 2019 | 55 | 29 | 12 | 14 | 84 | 54 | +30 | 52.73 |
| Académico de Viseu | 5 February 2019 | 11 July 2020 | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 45.65 |
| Académica | 12 July 2020 | 22 September 2021 | 44 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 43.18 |
| Nacional | 23 September 2021 | 18 May 2022 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 43.33 |
| Vilafranquense | 27 May 2022 | 7 February 2023 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 37.50 |
| Mafra | 10 February 2023 | 1 June 2023 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 17 | +6 | 46.67 |
| Moreirense | 4 July 2023 | 28 May 2024 | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 38 | 38 | +0 | 44.44 |
| Vitória Guimarães | 28 May 2024 | 26 December 2024 | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 56 | 25 | +31 | 60.00 |
| Sporting CP | 26 December 2024 | present | 71 | 48 | 14 | 9 | 157 | 64 | +93 | 67.61 |
| Career totals | 351 | 180 | 86 | 85 | 552 | 361 | +191 | 51.28 | ||
Honours
Sporting CP
Individual
- Primeira Liga's Manager of the Season: 2025[28]
- Primera Liga Manager of the Month: November 2025