23 Facts About Bruno Lage

Bruno Lage then spent just over a season as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, followed by a brief spell at Brazilian club Botafogo before returning to Benfica in 2024.

Bruno Lage started his coaching career in the youth ranks of hometown club Vitoria de Setubal in 1997.

Bruno Lage later worked as an assistant coach to Carlos Carvalhal at Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City from 2015 to 2018.

Bruno Lage co-authored a book on football tactics alongside Carvalhal, Soccer: Developing a Know-How.

Bruno Lage returned to Benfica as manager of their reserve team in July 2018 to replace Helder Cristovao.

Bruno Lage promoted younger players to the first-team, such as Florentino and Ferro, who would go on to play important roles that season.

Felix started 28 of 29 matches in all competitions under Bruno Lage, scoring 17 goals and recording 10 assists.

Bruno Lage was credited with the emergence of a young player viewed as "the most exciting Portuguese player since Cristiano Ronaldo" and for building the team around Felix.

From matchday 16 to 34, Bruno Lage won 18 league matches and drew just one to win his first major trophy, Benfica's 37th league title.

In January 2020, Benfica set a new record for the number of consecutive wins away from home, having achieved victory 17 consecutive times since Bruno Lage had been appointed.

In June 2021, Bruno Lage was lined up to succeed compatriot Nuno Espirito Santo at Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bruno Lage required a hearing for a work permit, as he did not qualify automatically to work in Britain post-Brexit.

Bruno Lage's remit was described as "attacking football, fluid formations and developing youth", in addition to challenging for European football.

Bruno Lage's first signing for Wolves was winger Francisco Trincao, who joined the club on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

Sa would go on to win Wolves' player of the season award that year after a string of impressive performances, and was credited for his sweeper keeper role, which allowed Bruno Lage to adopt a strategy of building attacks from the back of defence.

Bruno Lage equalled the club record of leading the side to three successive away victories in the Premier League.

Wolves' final fourteen matches included nine defeats and just eleven points won, and although Bruno Lage had won away to opponents such as Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, his team had only scored more goals than the three relegated teams.

Bruno Lage had previously coached Guedes as a youth player at the Benfica academy.

The club's transfer window was characterised as Bruno Lage reshaping the squad to his own desires; removing players that were perceived as being too used to the system of predessor Nuno Espirito Santo, and instead bringing in new players which were more suited to the new style of play which he wanted to implement.

Bruno Lage called it "the team we were dreaming of" and stated his belief that it was a "new chapter" for his side.

On 8 July 2023, after almost a year without coaching, Bruno Lage was announced at Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A side Botafogo, replacing compatriot Luis Castro.

Bruno Lage was sacked on 3 October, after an eight-match winless run, and an eventual elimination from the 2023 Copa Sudamericana.

Bruno Lage returned to Benfica on 5 September 2024, being appointed as the club's new head coach, signing a 18-month contract, following the sacking of Roger Schmidt the previous four days.