Right, so people kept asking how Bruno Lage became Wolves manager, yeah? Figured I’d dig into his actual path before the big job since it’s messier than most think. Didn’t just wake up one day coaching in the Premier League.
It started ages back, when Lage was still kicking a ball himself. Played mostly in Portugal’s lower leagues, nothing fancy. He wasn’t some superstar. Then things kinda ended early because of injuries. You know how it goes. Football boots off, coaching notebooks on.
Started proper coaching right at the bottom, like really bottom. Worked with kids, youth teams around Lisbon. Think muddy pitches and shouting over traffic noise. That grind teaches you stuff fancy courses don’t.
The Carlos Carvalhal Connection (This Part Matters)
His big break came tagging along with Carlos Carvalhal, this manager who bounced around everywhere. Lage became his assistant, basically his right-hand man. Followed Carvalhal like a shadow:
- Started in Portugal with Academica, proper mid-table stuff.
- Then jumped ship with Carvalhal to Greece, spent a couple of chaotic years there.
- Back to Portugal, then over to Turkey… football was their suitcase.
- Even ended up in England briefly when Carvalhal managed Sheffield Wednesday!
Point is, Lage saw everything in those years. Big clubs, small clubs, leagues nobody watches, the Premier League madness. Learned how things actually worked on the training pitch and in dodgy boardrooms.
Stepping Out On His Own (Sort Of)
Eventually went solo back in Portugal, managing Benfica’s youth team. Good gig, serious setup. Actually won the UEFA Youth League with them. That got attention.
Benfica’s big bosses took notice and shoved him into the main job in 2019 after a manager got sacked. Talk about pressure! But somehow, he pulled it off. Won the league that season playing sharp, aggressive football. People were impressed.
Then things… wobbled. Next season started rough, some key players left, results dipped, and just like that – sacked. Back to the wilderness.
The Waiting Game & Wolves Calling
Spent months sitting around, staying sharp. Watched games, traveled, talked football. You gotta wait for the right call. When Wolves came knocking, their main man Nuno had just left. They needed someone who understood the club, knew the league a bit, and fitted their style. Lage’s crazy mixed bag of experiences – the chaos with Carvalhal, the youth success, the brief Benfica high – finally made sense to someone.
So yeah, that’s how he got to Molineux. No magic path. Just years of grinding, failing sideways, grabbing chances, getting fired, learning the hard way at every level. Classic football gaffes, really.