Lito Vidigal

José Carlos Fernandes Vidigal (born 11 July 1969), commonly known as Lito, is an Angolan professional football manager and former player who played as a defender.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Fernandes and the second or paternal family name is Vidigal.
Lito Vidigal
Personal information
Full name José Carlos Fernandes Vidigal
Date of birth (1969-07-11) 11 July 1969
Place of birth Luanda, Angola
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1983–1987 O Elvas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Fronteirense
1988–1989 O Elvas 3 (0)
1989–1991 Estrela Portalegre
1991–1995 Campomaiorense 95 (5)
1995–2002 Belenenses 144 (3)
2002–2003 Santa Clara 6 (0)
2003–2004 O Elvas
National team
1996–2001 Angola 16 (0)
Teams managed
2004–2007 Pontassolense
2007–2008 Ribeirão
2008 Estrela Amadora
2009 Portimonense
2009–2010 União Leiria
2011–2012 Angola
2012–2013 Al-Ittihad
2013 AEL Limassol
2014–2015 Belenenses
2015–2017 Arouca
2017 Maccabi Tel Aviv
2017–2018 Aves
2018–2019 Vitória Setúbal
2019 Boavista
2020 Vitória Setúbal
2020 Marítimo
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent his entire playing career in Portugal, mainly with Belenenses in the Primeira Liga. An Angolan international for five years, he played at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations.

Vidigal managed seven clubs in Portugal's top flight, including Belenenses. He also led his nation at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Playing career

Born in Luanda, Portuguese Angola, Vidigal spent his entire career in Portugal, representing at the professional level O Elvas CAD, S.C. Campomaiorense, C.F. Os Belenenses and C.D. Santa Clara and retiring in 2003 at the age of 34, playing 214 matches the Primeira Liga and the Segunda Liga combined.

Internationally, Vidigal appeared for Angola at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, earning a total of 16 caps.[1]

Coaching career

Immediately after retiring in 2004, Vidigal took up coaching, starting with lowly A.D. Pontassolense and G.D. Ribeirão. In 2008, he moved to C.F. Estrela da Amadora – coaching his younger brother Luís after he returned from a lengthy spell in Italy – and joined second level's Portimonense S.C. in February of the following year.[2]

In late October 2009, as Manuel Fernandes bought out his contract at U.D. Leiria to return to his favorite club Vitória de Setúbal, Vidigal was named his successor.[3] On 8 January 2011, he was appointed coach of the Angolan national side.[4] The Black Antelopes qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in October,[5] and were eliminated at the group stage of the final tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.[6]

With the stated aim of winning titles abroad rather than avoiding relegation in Portugal, Vidigal remained in Africa and signed with Libya's Al-Ittihad Club from December 2012.[7] The following April, he left Tripoli due to political instability.[8]

Sacked by AEL Limassol of the Cypriot First Division at the start of the campaign,[9] Vidigal returned to Belenenses late into 2013–14, replacing Marco Paulo at the helm of the bottom-placed team and becoming their third coach of the season.[10] Even though he did not finish the following campaign, being replaced by Jorge Simão with nine matches to go, the side eventually qualified to the UEFA Europa League after finishing sixth.[11]

Vidigal repeated the feat in 2015–16 after leading F.C. Arouca to a best-ever classification of fifth, in only the club's third year in the top flight.[12] Previously, in March 2016, he renewed his contract for two years.[13]

In February 2017, Vidigal left Arouca for Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. on an 18-month contract with the option of a further year.[14] Despite leading the team to the runners-up position behind Hapoel Be'er Sheva FC, he was sacked by director Jordi Cruyff at the end of the season.[15]

Vidigal returned to Portugal's top flight in October 2017 when he was hired by C.D. Aves,[16] but after disputes with the board he left the following January.[17] Ahead of the following campaign, he signed a two-year deal at Vitória de Setúbal, and again parted before its conclusion.[18] Days later, he replaced the sacked Jorge Simão at struggling Boavista FC.[19]

On 17 December 2019, having taken 18 points from 14 league fixtures, Vidigal was dismissed.[20] He returned to Setúbal the following 6 July, three points above the drop zone with four games to play.[21] Having succeeded in that task, he moved on to C.S. Marítimo to replace José Manuel Gomes.[22]

On 4 December 2020, with the Madeiran club in 15th place, Vidigal was replaced by under-23 manager Milton Mendes.[23]

Personal life

Vidigal had 12 brothers and sisters, four of his male siblings being footballers: Beto, Luís (who played for Sporting CP and in the Serie A, represented Portugal and was coached in the 2008–09 campaign by Lito), Toni and Jorge.[24][25][26] His nephew, André, was also involved in the sport professionally.[27][28]

References
  1. Courtney, Barrie. "African Nations Cup 1998 – Final Tournament Details". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  2. "Portimonense – Lito Vidigal foi apresentado e pediu "muita solidariedade"" [Portimonense – Lito Vidigal was presented and asked for "lots of solidarity"] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  3. Frederico, Francisco (22 October 2009). "Lito Vidigal vê na U. Leiria um "desafio aliciante"" [Lito Vidigal sees "exciting challenge" in U. Leiria] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  4. "Lito Vidigal is named as new Angola coach". BBC Sport. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  5. Magalhães, Anaximandro (9 October 2011). "Angola está no Campeonato Africano das Nações" [Angola are in the Africa Cup of Nations]. Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  6. Edwards, Piers (30 January 2012). "Africa Cup of Nations: Ivorians send Angolans packing". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  7. "Lito Vidigal vai treinar Al-Ittihad Club" [Lito Vidigal will manage Al-Ittihad Club] (in Portuguese). Sábado. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. "Lito Vidigal deixa Al Ittihad" [Lito Vidigal leaves Al-Ittihad] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  9. "Coach who was chased out by hooligans named AEL Limassol boss". Eurosport. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  10. Moita, Alexandre (20 March 2014). "Lito Vidigal é o novo treinador" [Lito Vidigal is the new manager]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  11. "Melhor participação fica para a história do Belenenses" [Best participation enters Belenenses' history books]. Record (in Portuguese). 25 December 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  12. "Europeu Arouca fecha jornada com outro candidato à UEFA" [European Arouca close round with another UEFA candidate] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  13. "Mais dois anos de contrato para Lito no Arouca" [Another two-year contract for Lito at Arouca] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  14. "Lito Vidigal to be appointed as Maccabi coach". Maccabi Tel-Aviv F.C. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. Sampaio, João (14 June 2017). "OFICIAL: Lito Vidigal já não é o treinador do Maccabi Tel-Aviv" [OFFICIAL: Lito Vidigal no longer manager of Maccabi Tel-Aviv] (in Portuguese). Be Soccer. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. "Lito Vidigal é o novo treinador do Aves" [Lito Vidigal is the new manager of Aves] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. Castro, Ricardo Jorge (24 January 2018). "Desp. Aves: Lito Vidigal de saída do comando técnico" [Desp. Aves: Lito Vidigal leaving managerial helm] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  18. "Lito Vidigal já não é treinador do Vitória de Setúbal" [Lito Vidigal no longer manager of Vitória de Setúbal]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  19. "Lito Vidigal ruma ao Boavista" [Lito Vidigal heading to Boavista]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 27 January 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. "Daniel Ramos rende Lito Vidigal no Boavista" [Daniel Ramos in for Lito Vidigal at Boavista]. Público (in Portuguese). 18 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  21. "Lito Vidigal é o novo treinador do V. Setúbal" [Lito Vidigal is the new manager of V. Setúbal] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  22. "Lito Vidigal é o novo treinador do Marítimo" [Lito Vidigal is the new manager of Marítimo]. Observador (in Portuguese). 30 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  23. Vasconcelos, Gonçalo (4 December 2020). "Lito Vidigal já não é treinador do Marítimo" [Lito Vidigal no longer manager of Marítimo]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  24. "Irmãos Vidigal ignoram os genes para manterem o Estrela da Amadora no topo" [Brothers Vidigal ignore genes to leave Estrela on top]. Público (in Portuguese). 13 October 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  25. "One family, two nations: Brothers who have played for different international teams". Daily Mirror. 22 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  26. "Luís Vidigal: "O Sporting é paixão, é acreditar"" [Luís Vidigal: "Sporting is about passion, believing"] (in Portuguese). Sporting CP. 26 December 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  27. "Sobrinho de Luís e Lito Vidigal comprado pelo Fortuna Sittard" [Nephew of Luís and Lito Vidigal bought by Fortuna Sittard] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  28. "André Vidigal" (in Dutch). Jupiler League. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
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