Ricardo Manuel Andrade Silva Sa Pinto, born in October 1972 in Porto, is an emblematic figure in Portuguese football, where he left his mark on his football career as a player and coach. He began his football career in the 1990s, and was distinguished by his determination and passionate temperament, qualities that have always accompanied him.
Sa Pinto began his professional career at Salgueiros before joining his heart club, Sporting Portugal, in 1994. He quickly established himself as a versatile and lethal striker, able to play in support attack and on the flanks. He played for Lisbon during two periods (1994-1997 and 2000-2006), where he played 173 matches and scored 39 goals, including a period at Spanish Real Sociedad with 77 matches and scoring 6 goals. Ricardo also played for Standard Liège in Belgium, where he finished his football career, wearing the shirt 26 times and scoring only two goals.
On the international scene, Sa Pinto participated in 45 matches with the Portugal national team, scoring 10 goals. He participated in Euro 1996 and 2000, in addition to the World Cup qualifiers. However, his career was not without hiccups. In 1997, he was suspended for nine months after attacking Portuguese national team coach Artur Jorge, temporarily hampering his career in the national team.
Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to play alongside legends such as Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and later Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he accompanied at Sporting Portugal, when the latter was at the beginning of his professional career.
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Transition to a coaching career
After retiring from playing in 2007, Sa Pinto quickly turned to a coaching career. He started out as an assistant at Leiria during the 2010-11 season, before getting his first big break in 2012 when he took over at Sporting Portugal. Under his leadership, the club reached the final of the Portuguese Cup and the semi-final of the Europa League, losing to Athletic Bilbao (1-2, 3-1).
Since then, Sa Pinto has coached in many countries and leagues, making him a mobile technician. He has managed teams in Greece (OFI Crete, Atromitos FC), Belgium (Standard de Liège), Turkey (Gaziantep), Poland (Legia Warsaw), Brazil (CR Vasco da Gama), Cyprus (Apol Nicosia), in Iran (Esteghlal ) and Saudi Arabia (Al-Fateh). In Portugal, he also managed Braga SC, Moreirense FC and Belenenses CD.
Regarding his track record, although Sa Pinto has not won many major titles, he has won some awards. He won the Belgian Cup in 2018 with Standard Liège, the Iranian Super Cup in 2020 with Esteghlal FC, and most recently the Cyprus Championship in 2024 with APOEL Nicosia.
A new adventure in Raja
At the helm of Eagles Vertes, Ricardo Sa Pinto's mission is clear: to keep Raja at the top of the national competitions and strive to perform well in the CAF Champions League, where the club hopes to win its fourth title in the most important competition. prestigious in the African continent.
This Moroccan adventure represents a new page in the career of Sa Pinto, who will be keen to leave a permanent mark in the history of Raja Casablanca.
