Who is Pedro Ribeiro? Everything you need to know about newly appointed Sunderland assistant head coach
The Portuguese coach was appointed by Sunderland on Tuesday.
Sunderland unveiled Pedro Ribeiro as their new assistant head coach on Tuesday afternoon. The Black Cats have been embroiled in a protracted hunt for the right candidate to act as deputy to Regis Le Bris ever since the Frenchman arrived on Wearside earlier this year, and have finally settled on their man after months of searching.
The 38-year-old will likely be a relative unknown to many supporters, with this being his first job in English football, but his CV is an impressive one, and the hope will be that his pedigree can speak for itself.
Addressing the Portuguese coach’s arrival on Wearside, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: “We are delighted to welcome Pedro to Sunderland. We’ve been diligent and patient in identifying the right candidate for this role to ensure we build on the excellent progress we are making. Pedro has an impressive set of experiences. He can use these to provide an alternative perspective, but importantly he is aligned to our values and playing identity. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to helping him settle into his new role.”
But how has Ribeiro’s career panned out to date? Here’s everything you need to know about the newest member of Sunderland’s backroom staff.
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Who is Pedro Ribeiro?
Ribeiro was born on the outskirts of Braga, Portugal, and enjoyed a modest playing career of his own before taking up coaching at the tender age of 19. He started out in the lower leagues of the Portuguese pyramid, working in the youth setups of FC Tirsense and FC Vizela. From there, he graduated into senior coaching, returning to Tirsense before working as an assist at CD Feirense. During his time at the club, he helped guide them to promotion to the Primeira Liga.
In 2011, Ribeiro got his big break by moving to Portuguese giants FC Porto. Initially, he worked in the club’s scouting department as an opponent analyst, aiding the likes of Andre Villas-Boas, Jesualdo Ferreira, and Vitor Pereira, before the latter offered him a role as his assistant coach.
He would the spend the next handful of years following Pereira from club to club. During that, Ribeiro was assistant coach at Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, Olympiacos in Greece, Fenerbahçe in Turkey, and TSV 1860 Munich in Germany.
On February 23rd 2018, he took on his first head coach role, becoming the youngest manager in Portuguese professional football when he was appointed by Gil Vicente. From there, Ribeiro took a job as Belenenses SAD’s U23s coach, but eventually ended up in the first team hot seat after an caretaker period. Since the beginning of 2020, he has had subsequent stints in charge of FC Penafiel, Academico Viseu, and Leixoes, leaving the latter in January of this year.
How good is Pedro Ribeiro’s managerial record?
According to stats database Transfermarkt, Ribeiro has taken charge of 134 matches over the course of his career, winning 46, drawing 31, and losing 57. Overall, he has a win percentage of 34.3%, and has averaged 1.26 points per game.
What has Pedro Ribeiro said?
Speaking upon his arrival on Wearside, Ribeiro told the club’s in-house media: “I’m privileged to be part of one of the most historical and progressive football clubs in English football. It’s a real honour and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me. I’ll do my best to contribute and to support our players, as we all work to achieve Sunderland’s long-term goals.”