Luís Loureiro


Luis Fernando da Graça Loureiro is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and the current manager of S.C.U. Torreense.
He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 142 matches and 15 goals over seven seasons, representing mainly Gil Vicente. He also competed professionally in Russia and Cyprus.
In 2011, Loureiro started working as a coach.

Playing career

Club

Loureiro was born in Sintra, Lisbon. Having started his footballing career with hometown's S.U. Sintrense, he went on to represent Portimonense SC, C.D. Nacional, Gil Vicente FC, S.C. Braga, Sporting CP and C.F. Estrela da Amadora, also serving uneventful abroad stints with FC Dynamo Moscow in Russia and Cyprus's Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
Arguably, Loureiro's biggest career moment came with Sporting: a spectacular goal, topping a great performance in a 2–1 home win against S.L. Benfica during the 2005–06 campaign. However, he was never more than a utility player there, collecting only 14 appearances all competitions comprised.
On 1 November 2007, Anorthosis coach Temuri Ketsbaia called him lazy and said that he was 'still on vacation', implying that the midfielder had not yet displayed the calibre of football he was brought to the club for. Eventually, in January 2008, Loureiro and Anorthosis parted ways, and the player returned to Portugal, signing until the end of the season with northern Boavista FC.
In July 2008, after Boavista's top flight relegation, Loureiro also dropped down a level, returning to Algarve's Portimonense and being released at the end of the campaign. After one year out of football he re-joined his first professional team Sintrense, in the fourth division.

International

Loureiro earned six caps for Portugal, all in 2003 and as a Gil Vicente player. His first came in the 0–2 loss to Italy on 12 February in a friendly match, and he last played in a 4–0 win over Bolivia on 10 June, in another exhibition game.

Coaching career

Starting in 2011, Loureiro managed Sintrense, C.D. Fatima, S.U. 1º de Dezembro and Casa Pia AC, all in the third tier. He was appointed at the last of them in February 2019, and won promotion on the away goals rule against S.C. Praiense before taking the championship title on 23 June with a penalty shootout win over U.D. Vilafranquense at the Estádio Nacional.
For ending Casa Pia's 55-year absence from the LigaPro, Loureiro was given another year on his contract. In his first match managing in the competition, on 10 August 2019, the team lost 3–1 at S.C. Farense. He was dismissed on 24 September with the side second from bottom, just after winning for the first time in the season.