Gonçalo Feio

Gonçalo Feio (born 17 January 1990) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player.

Feio was appointed manager of Motor Lublin in 2022 and of Legia Warsaw in 2024. Under his leadership, Legia won the 2024–25 Polish Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League — their deepest European run in years. Despite the sporting success, contract renewal talks with Legia broke down in May 2025. Feio subsequently accepted an offer from French side Dunkerque, taking charge ahead of the 2025–26 Ligue 2 season. However, he left the club after just 23 days, before managing a single competitive match.

Playing career

He spent his football career in youth teams of Benfica and Belenenses.

Managerial career

Early years

Feio started his coaching career during his studies at the University of Lisbon. As a first-year student, he won a competition organized by the university for the best work on youth football training. As a part of his reward, he was offered an internship in Benfica's academy, where he worked with under-8 and under-10 youth groups. For one season, he was also an assistant coach of the under-15 team.

In 2010, Feio came to Poland as part of a student exchange between the universities of Lisbon and Warsaw. Initially, in order to afford his stay in Poland, he worked as a language tutor.

In November 2010, he joined Legia Warsaw's academy, working with numerous age groups in both head and assistant coaching positions. In 2014, he joined Legia's senior team staff as a data analyst and later assistant coach, under first team managers Henning Berg and Stanislav Cherchesov. He left Legia in November 2015.

In 2016, he moved to Wisła Kraków, where he worked as youth coach and assistant coach to first team managers Kiko Ramírez and Joan Carrillo. In 2019, he moved to Super League Greece club Xanthi, where he operated as an assistant coach of Kiko Ramírez. Feio went back to Poland in 2020, finding employment as an assistant to Marek Papszun at Raków Częstochowa. He left Raków following a physical altercation with team manager Kamil Waskowski.

Motor Lublin

On 19 September 2022, Feio took on his first senior managerial role when he was appointed manager of II liga club Motor Lublin, who at the time were placed bottom of the league table. With Feio in charge, Motor won the promotion play-offs and returned to I liga after a thirteen-year hiatus.

On 5 March 2023, following a league match against GKS Katowice, Feio insulted Motor's press officer Paulina Maciążek, which led to a confrontation with the club's chairman Paweł Tomczyk, during which Feio attacked him with a desk tray. Tomczyk had to be treated in a hospital, and left the club soon after, along with Maciążek. Motor's owner Zbigniew Jakubas defended Feio during a press conference two days later. For his actions, the Polish Football Association Disciplinary Committee penalised the Portuguese manager with a two-year ban (sentence suspended for a period of one year), a financial fine and ordered him to issue a written apology to both Maciążek and Tomczyk.

He left the club in March 2024, despite Motor overperforming in their first season back in the second division; at the time of Feio's departure, they were placed fifth in the league table.

Legia Warsaw

On 9 April 2024, following Kosta Runjaić's dismissal, it was reported by the media that Feio was to replace him as manager of Ekstraklasa side Legia Warsaw. A day later, Feio was officially announced by the club, signing a deal until the end of the 2024–25 season.

On 15 August 2024, Legia drew 1–1 at home against Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League and advanced on aggregate after winning 2–3 away. At the final whistle, Feio made obscene gestures towards the away fans' section, later claiming he was provoked by Brøndby's behaviour towards his team during the first game. Two days later, he released a formal apology. For his antics, UEFA issued Feio with a suspended one-match ban. In the opening match of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League league phase, Feio led Legia to an 1–0 upset win over Betis on 3 October 2024. Five days later, he was charged with causing minor bodily harm and making criminal threats during the March 2023 incident while working at Motor. Legia reached the quarter-finals of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, marking a notable achievement in the club’s recent European history. In this stage, they faced Chelsea; the first leg, played on 10 April 2025 at the Polish Army Stadium, ended in a 3–0 defeat for Legia. However, in the return leg on 17 April 2025 at Stamford Bridge, Legia managed a 2–1 victory. Despite this impressive win, the aggregate score of 4–2 in favour of Chelsea saw Legia ultimately eliminated from the competition. On 2 May 2025, Feio led his team to a 4–3 win over Pogoń Szczecin in the 2024–25 Polish Cup final, securing Legia's 21st national cup win.

On 25 May 2025, one day after finishing the league season in 5th, it was announced Feio would leave Legia at the end of June after failing to agree on a new contract.

USL Dunkerque

On 20 June 2025, Feio was unveiled as the new manager of French Ligue 2 club Dunkerque. Feio's French chapter proved remarkably brief. In a surprising and abrupt turn of events, his tenure at Dunkerque came to an end after merely 23 days, without having overseen a single official fixture.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Legia Warsaw
* Polish Cup: 2024–25

Individual
* I liga Coach of the Month: December 2023

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feio Gonçalo
1990 births
Living people
Footballers from Lisbon
Portuguese men's footballers
Portuguese football managers
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Poland
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in France
Portuguese expatriate football managers
Expatriate football managers in Poland
Expatriate football managers in France
Legia Warsaw non-playing staff
Wisła Kraków non-playing staff
Motor Lublin managers
Legia Warsaw managers
USL Dunkerque managers
Ekstraklasa managers
I liga managers
II liga managers
21st-century Portuguese sportsmen