António Miguel Nunes Ferraz Leal de Araújo (born 22 April 1965), known as Leal, is a Portuguese football manager, currently in charge of Kuwaiti Division One club Al-Tadamon.

Miguel Leal
Personal information
Full name António Miguel Nunes Ferraz Leal de Araújo
Date of birth (1965-04-22) 22 April 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth Marco de Canaveses, Portugal
Team information
Current team
Al-Tadamon (manager)
Managerial career
Years Team
1999–2000 Régua
2000–2001 Penafiel (youth)
2001–2002 Leixões (assistant)
2002–2003 Marco
2004 Penafiel
2004–2005 Padroense (youth)
2005–2006 Paredes (assistant)
2006–2007 Beira-Mar (assistant)
2007–2008 Aliados Lordelo (assistant)
2008–2009 Penafiel (assistant)
2011–2012 Penafiel (youth)
2012–2014 Penafiel
2014–2016 Moreirense
2016–2017 Boavista
2017–2018 Arouca
2019 Cova Piedade
2019–2020 Penafiel
2020 Varzim
2021 Cova Piedade
2023– Al-Tadamon

He had several spells in charge of Penafiel, and four other second-tier clubs. In the Primeira Liga, he led Moreirense and Boavista.

Football career

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Born in Marco de Canaveses, Porto District, Leal only played amateur football, retiring in 1998 after a three-year spell with Sport Clube Salvadorense. His first head coaching spell arrived midway through the 2002–03 season, and he was able to help F.C. Marco narrowly avoid relegation from the Segunda Liga.

From 2004 to 2009, Leal worked mainly as an assistant manager, representing in that capacity U.S.C. Paredes, S.C. Beira-Mar, Aliados Lordelo F.C. and F.C. Penafiel. In the 2009–10 campaign, he acted as fitness coach at Turkish club Gaziantepspor.[1]

On 28 May 2012, after another youth spell with Penafiel, Leal was appointed as coach of the first team.[2] He led them to the ninth position in his first year, achieving promotion to the Primeira Liga in the following after a third-place finish as the runners-up FC Porto B were not eligible;[3] following this success, he was voted coach of the season.[4]

On 16 May 2014, Leal signed with Moreirense F.C. also in the top division.[5] He left on 19 May 2016 following the expiration of his contract, after consecutively managing to lead the team into safety.[6]

On 11 October 2016, Leal was announced as new Boavista F.C. manager after the club parted ways with Erwin Sánchez.[7] He was relieved of his duties early into the following season,[8] but found accommodation two days after being fired by joining second tier side F.C. Arouca.[9]

Leal left Arouca on 26 September 2018, after four consecutive losses put the team in last place at the start of the season.[10] The following 17 January, he came back to the league at C.D. Cova da Piedade on a deal until the end of the campaign.[11] When it finished, he returned to Penafiel on 4 June 2019, succeeding Armando Evangelista.[12] His contract ended abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and his team finished 15th in the aborted season.[13]

On 19 October 2020, Leal returned to work at Varzim SC, succeeding Paulo Alves at the 17th-placed club.[14] He left on New Year's Day, having won once in nine games and never in the league.[15] On 22 March 2021, he returned to Cova da Piedade.[16]

In July 2023, having been unemployed for two years, Leal was appointed head coach of Al-Tadamon SC in the Kuwaiti Division One.[17] On 2 February 2024, his side reached the semi-finals of the Emir Cup after ousting holders Kuwait SC on penalties.[18]

Personal life

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Leal obtained an academic and Master's degree in physical education, as well as completing a doctorate in psychology.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Miguel Leal, os grandes palcos não lhe assentam nada mal" [Miguel Leal, big stages fit him like a glove] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador do Futebol Clube de Penafiel" [Miguel Leal is the new manager of Futebol Clube de Penafiel] (in Portuguese). Riquezas e Tradições de Penafiel. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Oito anos depois, o Penafiel volta à I Liga" [Eight years later, Penafiel return to I League] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. ^ Marques, Sara (6 July 2014). "Enzo Perez eleito melhor jogador da época passada" [Enzo Perez voted best player of last season] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Miguel Leal, ex-Penafiel, é o novo treinador do Moreirense" [Miguel Leal, ex-Penafiel, is the new manager of Moreirense] (in Portuguese). TSF. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Miguel Leal deixa o Moreirense" [Miguel Leal leaves Moreirense]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 19 May 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador do Boavista" [Miguel Leal is the new Boavista manager] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Miguel Leal deixa o comando técnico do Boavista" [Miguel Leal no longer in charge of Boavista]. Público (in Portuguese). 13 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  9. ^ Tavares, Ruben (15 September 2017). "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador" [Miguel Leal is the new manager]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  10. ^ Oliveira, Cláudia (26 September 2018). "Miguel Leal de saída do Arouca" [Miguel Leal leaving Arouca]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador" [Miguel Leal is the new manager]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 January 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador do Penafiel" [Miguel Leal is the new manager of Penafiel]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 June 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  13. ^ Rocha, José (25 July 2020). "Marco de Canaveses: Miguel Leal lamenta final de "ligação muito forte" ao FC Penafiel" [Marco de Canaveses: Miguel Leal laments end of "very strong link" to FC Penafiel]. A Verdade (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  14. ^ Rocha, José (19 October 2020). "Marco de Canaveses: Miguel Leal tem novo clube" [Marco de Canaveses: Miguel Leal has a new club]. A Verdade (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Varzim anuncia saída do técnico Miguel Leal" [Varzim announce exit of manager Miguel Leal]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 January 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  16. ^ Lopes, Sérgio (22 March 2021). "Miguel Leal é o novo treinador do Cova da Piedade" [Miguel Leal is the new manager of Cova da Piedade]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Kuwait Miguel Leal apresentado: "Treinar no estrangeiro era a prioridade"" [Kuwait Miguel Leal presented: "Coaching abroad was the priority"]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  18. ^ Cadima, Pedro (3 February 2024). "Treinador Miguel Leal nas meias-finais da Taça do Kuwait" [Manager Miguel Leal in Kuwait Cup semi-finals]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  19. ^ "DESPORTO: Miguel Leal ainda não decidiu o futuro e admite prosseguir carreira no estrangeiro" [SPORT: Miguel Leal has not decided future yet and admits continuing career abroad] (in Portuguese). Marcoense FM. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
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