Sergio Conceicao backed for ‘top jobs’ amid Serie A links

Former Sporting Lisbon midfielder Jose Luis Vidigal has backed Porto Manager Sergio Conceicao for a ‘top job’ amidst Serie A links.

Conceicao is one of the most highly-rated managers in the Portuguese top flight following his exploits since taking over at Porto in 2017.

The Portuguese has won every domestic trophy available since arriving at the Estadio do Dragao, with a minimal transfer budget. 

Conceicao’s side are looking to defend their league crown this season, but they are currently second in the table, five points behind Benfica.

The Dragons did well to qualify top of their Champions League group ahead of Club Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid.

Luis Vidigal has heaped praise on Conceicao ahead of Porto’s round of 16 tie against Serie A giants Inter Milan and backed the Portuguese to secure a top job.

“Conceicao is already a top coach,” Luis Vidigal told TuttoMercatoWeb. “He arrived at Porto at a very bad time with the club on the verge of bankruptcy.

“He took a roster of players that some thought they didn’t need and won the championship with them. He recovered his technical and financial situation and did spectacular things with players that hardly anyone knew. 

“By selling them for a lot of money, the company managed to go back up. He will be more than ready for a top club. In Italy, as far as I know, they have already called him.”

Conceicao began his managerial career as an assistant manager at Standard Liege in Belgium. He remarkably made his way up to coaching Porto without spending more than a year at any other club.

Despite being highly decorated, his entire trophy cabinet consists of trophies he won at Porto, including three Portuguese championships, two Portuguese Cups, three Portuguese Super Cups and one Portuguese League Cup.