02.11.2026 14:12
Sergio Conceiçao, who is reported to have reached an agreement for Fenerbahçe's head coaching position, draws attention as much for his successes as for the arguments he has had on the touchline. The life of the Portuguese coach, who has faced Guardiola, Tuchel and Arteta and confronted his player at Milan, is filled with great suffering. Here are the unknown facts about Conceiçao, who won 11 trophies at Porto...
After İsmail Kartal's departure at Fenerbahçe, the search for a head coach accelerated. The yellow-navy club, which managed only 1 win in its last 5 official matches and lost to Göztepe after Galatasaray, decided on the name Sergio Conceiçao for the new head coach. According to HT Spor's report, an agreement was reached with the Portuguese coach, and Conceiçao was invited to Istanbul. According to Samet Çayır's report, Fenerbahçe's football committee also contacted former head coach Jorge Jesus. It was reported that Jesus gave a positive reference about Conceiçao, saying, "I see my youth in him." So, who is Sergio Conceiçao, who is expected to take charge of Fenerbahçe? Here is the life of the Portuguese coach, with his achievements, the pain he experienced, and the debates that made an impact in the football world...
HE WON 11 TROPHIES IN 7 YEARS AT PORTO
Sergio Conceiçao, who began his head coaching career at Olhanense in 2012, later worked at Academica Coimbra, Braga, Vitoria Guimaraes, and Nantes. He spent the most successful period of his career at Porto, where he worked between 2017 and 2024. With the Portuguese team, he won a total of 11 trophies: 3 league championships, 4 Portuguese Cups, 3 Portuguese Super Cups, and 1 Portuguese League Cup. Conceiçao, who also won the Italian Super Cup with Milan, increased the number of trophies in his head coaching career to 12.
HIS CHILDHOOD PASSED IN POVERTY AND PAIN
Born in Coimbra, Portugal, on November 15, 1974, Sergio Conceiçao was the seventh child of a family with eight children. Growing up with financial difficulties, Conceiçao worked construction jobs with his father at a young age to support his family, worked in bakeries, and held various jobs. The Portuguese coach, who said his father never told him "I love you," stated that for this reason he took care to show his love to his own children at every opportunity.
One of the greatest pains in Conceiçao's life occurred when he was just 16 years old. Shortly after joining the Porto academy, he lost his father in a motorcycle accident. Conceiçao, who lost his mother about two years later and then his younger brother, even considered quitting football because of these losses he experienced one after another.
HE PUT HIS SON ON THE PITCH, AND HE SCORED THE WINNING GOAL
During his time coaching Porto, one of the most special moments in Conceiçao's career took place in the Estoril match. The Portuguese coach brought his son Francisco Conceiçao on in the final part of the match, and shortly afterward experienced great joy with his son's winning goal. This moment, experienced together by father and son, became one of the unforgettable events of Conceiçao's head coaching career. Francisco Conceiçao later transferred to Juventus.
HE ARGUED WITH GUARDIOLA: "I LOOKED LIKE AN ANGEL NEXT TO HIM"
Sergio Conceiçao's tough temperament on the sideline also showed itself in the arguments he had with important head coaches in world football. The Portuguese coach targeted Pep Guardiola after Porto's match against Manchester City in 2020. Conceiçao, who claimed that Guardiola tried to put pressure on the referees on the sideline and made insults about his family, drew attention with his words, "I looked like an angel next to Guardiola."
HE ALSO CAME FACE TO FACE WITH TUCHEL AND ARTETA
Conceiçao also had tension with Thomas Tuchel after the Champions League quarter-final match against Chelsea in 2021. While the Portuguese coach claimed that Tuchel insulted him on the sideline, an argument broke out between the two during the handshake after the match. A similar incident occurred after the Arsenal match in 2024. This time, Conceiçao claimed that Mikel Arteta came to the Porto bench during the match and insulted his family. The argument received wide coverage in the English and Portuguese press.
HE CONFRONTED HIS PLAYER AT MILAN
One of the most striking events of the Portuguese coach's career occurred on January 26, 2025. After Milan defeated Parma 3-2 with goals scored in the final minutes, great tension broke out between Conceiçao and team captain Davide Calabria. Conceiçao, who reacted harshly to Calabria, who had been substituted during the match, after the final whistle, walked toward his player. Other players and technical staff members intervened between the two. After the match, Conceiçao drew attention to high adrenaline and passion for football and used the words, "We are not in church." Calabria, on the other hand, said that what happened stemmed from a misunderstanding and that the problem had been resolved.
HE ALSO FREQUENTLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH REFEREES
Known for his aggressive behavior on the sideline, Conceiçao received various disciplinary penalties throughout his career due to his reactions to referee decisions. The Portuguese coach criticized the international referee management after a Champions League match and also referred to his previous criticisms of Portuguese referees. Conceiçao, who said that the referees in his country have a lot to teach their international colleagues, also drew attention with these words.
HE CONTINUED HIS TOUGH STANCE IN SAUDI ARABIA
After Milan, Sergio Conceiçao worked at the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad, where he also stood out for the importance he gave to discipline. It was reported that the Portuguese coach displayed a strict attitude regarding players' training discipline and understanding of professionalism. One of the formations Conceiçao, who demanded high physical effort and defensive contribution from his players, used most often was 4-4-2. Conceiçao, known for an understanding of football based on aggressive pressing, fast attacking transitions, and team discipline, has already become a matter of curiosity regarding his possible performance at Fenerbahçe.