Rui Almeida

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rui Almeida

| image = Rui Almeida août 2018 (cropped).jpg

| upright = 0.9

| caption = Almeida as Troyes manager in 2018

| full_name = Rui Miguel Garcia Lopes de Almeida{{cite web|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/espace-premium/sports/rui-almeida-en-impose-18-12-2015-5382561.php|title=Dijon - Red Star : Rui Almeida en impose|date=18 December 2015|website=leparisien.fr}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|09|29|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Lisbon, Portugal

| height =

| currentclub =

| manageryears1 = 2002–2008 | managerclubs1 = Estoril (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2008–2010 | managerclubs2 = Trofense (assistant)

| manageryears3 = 2010–2012 | managerclubs3 = Syria U23

| manageryears4 = 2012 | managerclubs4 = Panathinaikos (assistant)

| manageryears5 = 2013 | managerclubs5 = Sporting CP (assistant)

| manageryears6 = 2013–2014 | managerclubs6 = Braga (assistant)

| manageryears7 = 2015 | managerclubs7 = Zamalek (assistant)

| manageryears8 = 2015–2016 | managerclubs8 = Red Star

| manageryears9 = 2017 | managerclubs9 = Bastia

| manageryears10 = 2018–2019 | managerclubs10 = Troyes

| manageryears11 = 2019 | managerclubs11 = Caen

| manageryears12 = 2020 | managerclubs12 = Gil Vicente

| manageryears13 = 2022–2023 | managerclubs13 = Niort

| manageryears14 = 2023–2024 | managerclubs14 = JS Kabylie

| manageryears15 = 2024 | managerclubs15 = Al-Batin

| manageryears16 = 2025 | managerclubs16 = Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi

}}

Rui Miguel Garcia Lopes de Almeida (born 29 September 1969) is a Portuguese professional football manager.

After working as an assistant to Jesualdo Ferreira, he worked mainly in France, with Bastia in Ligue 1 and four clubs in Ligue 2, as well as a brief spell in his country's Primeira Liga with Gil Vicente. Recently, Rui Almeida started a new challenge in Moroccan club Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi

Managerial career

Almeida spent his early managerial career as an assistant at Estoril and Trofense. His first stint as a professional manager was with the Syria under-23 team in an attempt for qualification to the 2012 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.sofoot.com/beaucoup-de-ceux-que-j-ai-connus-en-syrie-sont-desormais-exiles-e2-80-a6-215503.html|title=" Beaucoup de ceux que j'ai connus en Syrie sont désormais exilés… "|date=16 January 2016 |trans-title="A lot of those who I knew in Syria are now exiles..."|publisher=So Foot|language=French}} A polyglot (speaking Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, English and French), he left Syria to become assistant manager to Jesualdo Ferreira at Panathinaikos, Sporting, Braga and Zamalek before managing again with Red Star in Ligue 2 in June 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/sports/foot-ligue-2-le-portugais-rui-almeida-sur-le-banc-du-red-star-12-06-2015-4857077.php|title=Ligue 2 : le Portugais Rui Almeida sur le banc du Red Star|trans-title=Ligue 2: Portuguese Rui Almeida in Red Star's dugout|date=12 June 2015|website=Le Parisien|language=French}} He was dismissed in December 2016 when the club was in 16th, and had been eliminated from the Coupe de France by fifth-tier Blagnac.{{cite news |title=Red Star : Rui Almeida mis à l'écart|trans-title=Rui Almeida dismissed |url=https://orangefootballclub.com/fr/articles/red-star-rui-almeida-mis-a-lecart/ |accessdate=14 November 2019 |publisher=Orange S.A. |date=12 December 2016 |language=French}}

Almeida then joined Bastia in Ligue 1 in February 2017, on a two-and-a-half-year contract; the Corsican team was five points within the relegation zone.{{cite news |title=Rui Almeida replaces Francois Ciccolini as Bastia manager |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/bastia/story/3070168/rui-almeida-replaces-francois-ciccolini-as-bastia-manager |accessdate=14 November 2019 |agency=PA Sport |publisher=ESPN FC |date=27 February 2017}} He left in June, as the team faced a financial crisis after their descent.{{cite news |title=Bastia part company with coach Rui Almeida as troubles deepen |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/french-ligue-1/story/3149234/bastia-part-company-with-coach-rui-almeida-as-troubles-deepen |accessdate=14 November 2019 |agency=PA Sport |publisher=ESPN FC |date=27 June 2017}}

On 30 May 2018, Almeida was announced as the manager of Troyes in Ligue 2, on a two-year deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.estac.fr/actualites/20043/rui-almeida-nouvel-entraineur-de-l-estac.html|title=Rui Almeida, nouvel entraîneur de l'ESTAC ! |trans-title=Rui Almeida, new ESTAC manager!|publisher=Troyes AC|language=French}} He led the team to third, one point off promotion, in his only season and was then linked to English club West Bromwich Albion, though no official approach was ever made.{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Joseph |title=Manager linked with West Brom vacancy finds new job elsewhere |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manager-linked-west-brom-vacancy-16410904 |accessdate=14 November 2019 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=11 June 2019}}

In July 2019, Almeida was appointed manager of Caen, newly relegated to Ligue 2. He signed a two-year deal with the option of a third, and compensation was paid for his remaining year contracted to Troyes.{{cite web |title=SM Caen. Rui Almeida est le nouvel entraîneur|trans-title=SM Caen. Rui Almeida is the new manager |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/football/sm-caen/sm-caen-l-entraineur-rui-almeida-en-approche-6386941 |work=Ouest France |date=7 June 2019 | language=French|accessdate=8 June 2019}} After a poor start to the season, he was removed from his duties on 28 September.{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-caen-rui-almeida-suspendu-de-ses-fonctions-123133.html|title=Caen : Rui Almeida suspendu de ses fonctions|trans-title=Caen: Rui Almeida suspended from his job|publisher=Foot National|language=fr|date=28 September 2019}}

Almeida was given his first outright job in his own country at the end of May 2020, when he was chosen to succeed Vítor Oliveira at Gil Vicente in the Primeira Liga.{{cite news |title=Rui Almeida vai ser o treinador do Gil Vicente na próxima época |trans-title=Rui Almeida will be the manager of Gil Vicente next season|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/gil-vicente/detalhe/rui-almeida-vai-ser-o-treinador-do-gil-vicente-na-proxima-epoca |accessdate=27 July 2020 |work=Record |date=30 May 2020 |language=Portuguese}} He lost his job on 10 November, having won once in seven games and lost the last four.{{cite news |last1=Rosa |first1=Melo |last2=Costa |first2=Olga |title=Mudanças em Barcelos: Rui Almeida deixa o comando técnico do Gil Vicente|trans-title=Changes in Barcelos: Rui Almeida leaves managerial helm at Gil Vicente |url=https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/1a-liga/gil-vicente/noticias/rui-almeida-ja-nao-e-treinador-gil-vicente--13021562.html |access-date=28 November 2020 |work=O Jogo |date=10 November 2020 |language=Portuguese}}

On 4 September 2022, Almeida returned to the French second tier, taking over at Niort ahead of the seventh game of the season, on a one-year contract with a second as an option.{{cite news |last1=Prouvoyeur |first1=Julien |title=Chamois Niortais : le technicien portugais Rui Almeida nouvel entraîneur |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/le-technicien-portugais-rui-almeida-nouvel-entraineur-des-chamois-niortais-1662313647 |access-date=22 December 2022 |publisher=France Bleu |date=4 September 2022 |language=French}} He left the bottom-placed team by mutual accord the following 1 February after recording four wins, five draws and nine defeats, including his last three games.{{cite news |last1=Guillotin |first1=Noémie |title=Rui Almeida n'est plus l'entraîneur des Chamois niortais|trans-title=Rui Almeida is no longer manager of Chamois Niortais|url=https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/football/rui-almeida-n-est-plus-l-entraineur-des-chamois-niortais-9763046 |access-date=16 April 2023 |publisher=France Bleu |date=1 February 2023 |language=French}}

On 14 October 2023, Almeida was appointed manager of Algerian club JS Kabylie.{{cite web |url=https://mediafootdz.dz/jsk-rui-almeida-nouvel-entraineur/ |title=JSK : Rui Almeida nouvel entraîneur |website=mediafootdz.dz |date=14 October 2023 |access-date=14 October 2023}} He lost his job on 25 January 2024.

On 15 July 2024, Almeida was appointed as manager of Saudi First Division League club Al-Batin.{{cite web |title=البرتغالي روي الميدا مدرباً للسماوي |url=https://x.com/albatinclub/status/1812926815683367056}} On 16 October 2024, Al-Batin announced the departure of Almeida from the club.{{cite web |title=الإدارة تُنهي عقد مدرب الفريق الأول البرتغالي روي الميدا وتقدم شكرها له |url=https://x.com/albatinclub/status/1846598209621143711}}

On 25 January 2025, Rui Almeida signed with Moroccan club Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi which competes in Botola Pro. https://www.instagram.com/share/_uDHn4X2Q