Rui Casaca

{{short description|Portuguese football director and former player}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rui Casaca

| image =

| fullname = Rui Manuel Magalhães Casaca

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|10|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Marco de Canaveses, Portugal

| height = {{height|m=1.79|precision=0}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1973–1979 | youthclubs1 = Braga

| years1 = 1979–1980 | clubs1 = Merelinense | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1980–1982 | clubs2 = Valdevez | caps2 = 21 | goals2 = 6

| years3 = 1982–1984 | clubs3 = Rio Ave | caps3 = 56 | goals3 = 5

| years4 = 1984–1994 | clubs4 = Boavista | caps4 = 249 | goals4 = 13

| totalcaps = 326 | totalgoals = 24

| nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1994–1997 | managerclubs1 = Boavista (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 1997 | managerclubs2 = Boavista (interim)

| manageryears3 = 2002–2003 | managerclubs3 = Belenenses (assistant)

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Rui Manuel Magalhães Casaca (born 18 October 1959) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder, and is the director of football at S.C. Braga.

Football career

Born in Marco de Canaveses, Porto District, Casaca started playing in the lower leagues with Merelinense F.C. and C.A. Valdevez, helping the latter team promote to the Segunda Liga in 1981. Starting in the following year and until his retirement, he competed solely in the Primeira Liga, with Rio Ave F.C. and Boavista FC.

In the 1985–86 season, Casaca scored a career-best four goals from 28 appearances to help Boavista finish in fifth position, with the subsequent qualification to the UEFA Cup.{{cite web|url=https://arquivista.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/epoca-198586-primeira-divisao/|title=Época 1985/86: Primeira Divisão|trans-title=1985/86 season: First Division|publisher=Arquivos da Bola|language=Portuguese|date=1 July 2007|accessdate=21 September 2017}} He retired in June 1994 at the age of 34, amassing top division totals of 305 matches and 18 goals, and immediately joined his main club's coaching staff; in January 1997 he was named interim manager, collecting one point in his two games in charge.

From 1997 to 2006, Casaca acted as director of football of Boavista and C.F. Os Belenenses, also being assistant to manager Manuel José at both sides.{{cite news|url=http://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/belenenses/detalhe/rui-casaca-por-uma-epoca.html|title=Rui Casaca por uma época|trans-title=Rui Casaca for one season|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=10 June 2003|accessdate=21 September 2017}} On 31 July 2007, in the same capacity, he returned to S.C. Braga{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/futebol/nacional/interior.aspx?content_id=313167|title=Rui Casaca é o novo director para o futebol|trans-title=Rui Casaca is the new director of football|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=31 July 2007|accessdate=12 May 2015}} where he had already occupied the position,{{cite news|url=http://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/sp--braga/detalhe/sp-braga-silva-sucede-a-silva-com-salario-revisto.html|title=Sp. Braga: Silva sucede a Silva com salário revisto|trans-title=Sp. Braga: Silva succeeds Silva with upgraded salary|newspaper=Record|language=Portuguese|date=22 July 1999|accessdate=21 September 2017}} and went on to remain there for several years.{{cite web|url=https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/sporting-de-braga/rui-casaca-e-um-grupo-muito-forte_d583103|title=Rui Casaca: "É um grupo muito forte"|trans-title=Rui Casaca: "It's a very strong group"|publisher=Rádio e Televisão de Portugal|language=Portuguese|date=30 August 2012|accessdate=20 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/taca-da-liga/sporting-braga/rui-casaca-sp-braga-estamos-num-grupo-forte|title=Rui Casaca (Sp. Braga): "Estamos num grupo forte"|trans-title=Rui Casaca (Sp. Braga): «We are in a strong group»|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=Portuguese|date=10 December 2014|accessdate=20 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://desporto.sapo.pt/futebol/taca-da-liga/artigos/rui-casaca-e-uma-taca-que-ja-tem-a-nossa-marca-e-queremos-voltar-a-ganhar|title=Rui Casaca: "É uma taça que já tem a nossa marca e queremos voltar a ganhar"|trans-title=Rui Casaca: "It is a cup that already has our name written on it and that we want to win again"|publisher=SAPO|language=Portuguese|date=28 October 2015|accessdate=20 September 2017}}