Mário Silva (footballer)


Mário Fernando Magalhães da Silva is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a left back, and the current manager of Rio Ave FC.

Playing career

Silva was born in Porto. Having grown through the ranks of local Boavista F.C. he went on to represent FC Nantes, FC Porto, Recreativo de Huelva and Cádiz CF, returning to Boavista in July 2006 and leaving after two seasons due to unpaid wages, in a litigation that would only be solved in March 2010.
Silva enjoyed his best years while with Porto, playing second fiddle to Nuno Valente on a side that won the 2002–03 UEFA Cup and the following year's UEFA Champions League while also adding back-to-back Primeira Liga titles under José Mourinho. Also at the club, on 27 March 2002, he earned his sole cap for the Portugal national team, appearing in a 1–4 friendly home defeat to Finland.
Midway through the 2008–09 campaign, Silva moved countries again and joined Doxa Katokopias FC of the Cypriot First Division. However, he was released after only a couple of months, and retired in the summer after not being able to find a new team.

Coaching career

In 2010, Silva began working as a manager, acting as both youth and assistant coach in Boavista. In June of the following year, with the team still in the third level, he was appointed as Filipe Gouveia's successor.
Silva resigned from his position just five months into the season, citing lack of payment as the reason for his departure. He subsequently returned to Porto, going on to act as manager for several youth sides and leading the under-19s to the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League; he was however, replaced by Tulipa shortly after.
In September 2019, Silva was appointed director of academy at Spanish Segunda División club UD Almería, where his compatriot Pedro Emanuel was the coach. The following 26 June, he took the reins of the first team until the end of the campaign, but was dismissed on 27 July just before the start of the promotion play-offs.
Days after leaving Spain, Silva was given his first top-flight job in his country, replacing Carlos Carvalhal at Rio Ave FC.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Boavista
Nantes
Porto