Popular former Sheffield Wednesday coach on the brink of major European job after year out of work

A popular former Sheffield Wednesday coach is closing in on becoming the next boss of one of the most historic clubs in Europe after nearly a year out of work. Bruno Lage was assistant to Carlos Carvalhal at both Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City, taking the Owls to back-to-back Championship play-off campaigns in 2016 and 2017 before their Hillsborough departure in December 2017.

Lage, 48, has since gone on to forge a successful management career, taking on the top job at Benfica, in the Premier League with Wolves and with Botafogo. Out of work since leaving the Brazilian side in October last year, the Portuguese is now set to make a highly-anticipated return to Benfica according to widespread reports in his homeland.

He won the Portuguese top tier title with As Águias in 2019, when he also won awards as the Primeira Liga's Best Coach and the Portuguese Football Federation men's coach of the year. During an 18-month stint with Wolves, he won a remarkable six Premier League manager of the month gongs before he was sacked in October 2022.

Should he be unveiled as Benfica boss as expected, he will replace German coach Roger Schmidt, who was sacked at the end of the month following a 1-1 draw with Moreirense at the turn of the month. The Estádio da Luz outfit had won their two previous goals to nil and sit seventh in the early-stages league table, five points back on leaders Sporting Lisbon. Among their big-name players are Ángel Di María, Renato Sanches and club captain Nicolás Otamendi.