Vasco Faísca

Vasco Faísca
Personal information
Full name Vasco Manuel Vilhena Faísca Teixeira[1]
Date of birth (1980-08-27) 27 August 1980 (age 44)[1]
Place of birth Lisbon, Portugal
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
1991–1996 Farense
1996–1998 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Sporting CP 0 (0)
1998–2000 → Lourinhanense (loan) 57 (1)
2000–2004 Vicenza 82 (1)
2004–2005 Académica 32 (0)
2005–2007 Belenenses 22 (0)
2007–2010 Padova 91 (0)
2010–2013 Ascoli 112 (3)
2013–2014 Platanias 26 (1)
2014–2015 Matera 28 (0)
2015–2016 Maceratese 35 (1)
2016–2017 Virtus Francavilla 18 (0)
Total 503 (7)
International career
1999–2000 Portugal U18 9 (0)
2000 Portugal U20 2 (0)
2000–2002 Portugal U21 15 (0)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Vianense (youth)
2018–2019 Vilafranquense (assistant)
2019 Olhanense
2019–2021 Braga B
2021 Alverca
2021–2023 Farense
2023–2024 Belenenses
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vasco Manuel Vilhena Faísca Teixeira (born 27 August 1980), known as Faísca, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central defender, currently a manager.

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in Italy after starting out at Sporting CP, representing in the country Vicenza, Padova and Ascoli and appearing in one Serie A match with the first club.[2]

Playing career

Club

Born in Lisbon, Faísca was a product of Sporting CP's youth system. In the summer of 2000 he was signed by Inter Milan alongside teammates Marco Caneira and Paulo Costa, in co-ownership with other clubs.[3]

Faísca stayed in Italy and played with Vicenza Calcio for four seasons, having been sold for 1,200 million lire (€619,748)[4]– one game in Serie A in 2000–01, the rest of his spell in Serie B[2]– before his rights were acquired fully in June 2004.[5] Shortly after, however, he returned to Portugal and joined Académica de Coimbra, making his Primeira Liga debut and being first choice (only two matches missed) as the Students narrowly avoided relegation.

In the 2005 off-season, Faísca signed for C.F. Os Belenenses, being fairly used in his first year but being deemed surplus to requirements soon afterwards. He returned to Italy in January 2007, joining Serie C1 team Calcio Padova and winning promotion in his second full campaign.[2]

On 31 August 2010, Faísca moved to second-tier Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC as part of the deal that involved Jonas Portin.[6] He suffered relegation at the end of 2012–13, terminating his contract which still had another year running.

Until his retirement at the age of 37, and save for one year in the Super League Greece with Platanias FC,[7] Faísca competed in the Italian lower leagues, where he represented S.S. Matera Calcio, SS Maceratese 1922 and Virtus Francavilla Calcio.[8]

International

Faísca appeared for the Portugal under-21 team at the 2002 UEFA European Championship in Switzerland, playing all group games as starter as the nation exited in that stage.[2]

Coaching career

After a spell with SC Vianense's youths,[9] Faísca started his senior managerial career as an assistant at U.D. Vilafranquense.[10] On 5 February 2019, was named head coach of S.C. Olhanense in the third tier,[11] and lost 1–0 on his debut away to Real S.C. five days later.[12]

On 27 December 2019, Faísca was confirmed at S.C. Braga B, second-placed in the same league, on a deal until the summer of 2022; he replaced Rúben Amorim, who was promoted to the first team.[13] He left a year early for F.C. Alverca, where he won two and lost three of six games before exiting by mutual consent on 4 October 2021.[14]

Faísca returned to the Algarve on 22 December 2021, signing with S.C. Farense who were second from bottom.[15] His Liga Portugal 2 debut came the following 17 January in a 1–0 home loss to Leixões SC;[16] in April, with the side safe from relegation, he signed for another season with a buyout clause of €1.5 million.[17]

On 3 February 2023, Faísca was dismissed by Farense after failing to reach an agreement to leave, despite his team being in second place. His exit was announced one hour before the match against C.F. Estrela da Amadora, who were one point behind.[18]

On 6 November 2023, Faísca was appointed at Belenenses, 17th in the second division shortly after promoting, in a return to the Estádio do Restelo 16 years later.[19][20] He was relieved of his duties on 28 February 2024, after a ten-game winless run left them one place lower.[21]

Managerial statistics

As of 25 February 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Olhanense Portugal 5 February 2019 27 December 2019 31 21 5 5 77 28 +49 067.74 [22]
Braga B Portugal 27 December 2019 16 June 2021 38 22 7 9 84 36 +48 057.89 [23]
Alverca Portugal 25 June 2021 4 October 2021 6 3 1 2 13 8 +5 050.00 [24]
Farense Portugal 22 December 2021 3 February 2023 43 21 7 15 61 53 +8 048.84 [25]
Belenenses Portugal 6 November 2023 28 February 2024 14 2 3 9 9 25 −16 014.29 [26]
Total 132 69 23 40 244 150 +94 052.27 —

References

  1. ^ a b c "Vasco Faísca" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (2 February 2019). ""O treinador era muito religioso, levava um padre ao balneário e aquilo era para mim, por ser agnóstico: 'O Satanás está aqui dentro'"" ["The coach was very religious, he took a priest to the locker room and that was aimed at me, because I was agnostic: 'Satan is in here'"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Tre giovani Portoghesi in prestito" [Three Portuguese youngsters on loan] (in Italian). Inter Milan. 21 June 2000. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  4. ^ FC Internazionale Milano SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2001, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  5. ^ "Fifteen co-ownership agreements renewed". Inter Milan. 23 June 2004. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Movimenti di mercato" [Market moves] (in Italian). Ascoli Calcio. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  7. ^ Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (24 March 2014). "Vasco Faísca, um emigrante com sorte" [Vasco Faísca, lucky immigrant] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Vasco Faisca firma con la Virtus Francavilla" [Vasco Faisca signs with Virtus Francavilla]. Cronache Maceratesi (in Italian). 17 July 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Sub19: novo treinador apresentado!" [Under19: new manager presented!] (in Portuguese). SC Vianense. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Vasco Faísca. "É o momento certo para jogar contra Itália"" [Vasco Faísca. "It's the right time to play Italy"] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  11. ^ Nascimento, Hélio (5 February 2019). "Vasco Faísca substitui Ivo Soares no banco do Olhanense" [Vasco Faísca replaces Ivo Soares on bench of Olhanense]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Domingo de derrotas para as equipas algarvias do Campeonato de Portugal" [Sunday of defeats for Algarvean teams in the Campeonato de Portugal] (in Portuguese). Sul Informação. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Braga também apresentou Vasco Faísca e explicou a aposta no treinador" [Braga also presented Vasco Faísca and explained the bet on the manager]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 27 December 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Liga 3: Vasco Faísca deixa o Alverca ao fim de seis jogos" [Liga 3: Vasco Faísca leaves Alverca after six games] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  15. ^ Encarnação, Carlos (22 December 2021). "Vasco Faísca é o novo treinador do Farense e regressa às origens" [Vasco Faísca is the new manager of Farense and returns to where it all began]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Leixões regressa aos triunfos e estraga estreia de Vasco Faísca no Farense" [Leixões return to winning ways and spoil Vasco Faísca's debut for Farense]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 17 January 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  17. ^ "II Liga: Farense renova com Vasco Faísca e fixa cláusula em 1,5 milhão de euros" [II League: Farense renew with Vasco Faísca and fix release clause at 1.5 million euros] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Farense: rescisão unilateral com Vasco Faísca antes de jogar com o Estrela" [Farense: unilateral termination with Vasco Faísca before playing Estrela]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 3 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Vasco Faísca é o novo treinador do Belenenses" [Vasco Faísca is Belenenses' new manager] (in Portuguese). C.F. Os Belenenses. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Vasco Faísca assume o comando do Belenenses após saída de Bruno Dias" [Vasco Faísca takes over at Belenenses following Bruno Dias' departure] (in Portuguese). Futebol 365. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Belenenses: Fim da linha para Vasco Faísca" [Belenenses: End of the road for Vasco Faísca]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  22. ^ "SC Olhanense: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  23. ^ "SC Braga B: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  24. ^ "FC Alverca: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  25. ^ "SC Farense: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  26. ^ "CF Os Belenenses: Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2023.