1. Overview
Rui Gil Soares de Barros (born 24 November 1965) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and is currently a manager. He had a distinguished career playing for major clubs in Portugal, Italy, and France, most notably with FC Porto, where he amassed 191 appearances and 43 goals in the Primeira Liga. Barros also represented the Portugal national football team on 36 occasions, scoring four goals. His career is characterized by significant achievements as a player, including multiple league titles and international cups, and he later transitioned into management, holding various roles at FC Porto.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Rui Gil Soares de Barros was born on 24 November 1965 in Paredes, Porto District, Portugal. His youth career began in 1978 with Aliados Lordelo FC, where he played until 1979. He then moved to Rebordosa AC from 1980 to 1982, followed by a stint at FC Paços de Ferreira from 1982 to 1983. His final youth club was FC Porto in 1983-1984, before he began his professional senior career.
3. Club Career
Rui Barros's professional playing career spanned several prominent clubs in Portugal, Italy, and France, marked by significant contributions and numerous titles. He achieved considerable success in various leagues and cup competitions before returning to his home club, FC Porto, for a final impactful period.
3.1. Early Professional Stints and Success at FC Porto
Barros began his senior professional career with S.C. Covilhã in the Segunda Liga during the 1984-1985 season, where he made 25 appearances and scored 5 goals. He then joined Varzim S.C. for two seasons (1985-1987), playing 58 matches and scoring 12 goals, notably helping the club achieve promotion to the Primeira Liga in his second year as a professional.
In 1987, Barros signed with FC Porto for the 1987-88 Primeira Liga season. He made an immediate and significant impact, scoring 12 goals in the league and contributing to Porto's championship conquest. His arrival was crucial as the club had just seen Paulo Futre transfer to Atlético Madrid. Barros also played a pivotal role in Porto's early campaign achievements, including the 1987 European Super Cup victory against AFC Ajax, where he scored in the first leg of the final, and the 1987 Intercontinental Cup triumph against Peñarol. His outstanding performance during this period led to him being voted Portuguese Footballer of the Year in 1988.
3.2. Overseas Club Career
Following his success in Portugal, Barros moved to Italy, joining Juventus FC in the summer of 1988. At Juventus, he notably chose to wear the number 8 shirt, declining the opportunity to wear the prestigious number 10 shirt, which had previously belonged to the recently retired Michel Platini, whose attacking midfield role he was set to inherit. His transfer to Juventus was influenced by coach Dino Zoff, who had been impressed by Barros's performance in a friendly match between Portugal U23 and Italy U23. During his two-year tenure with Juventus, Barros scored 19 goals in 95 appearances across all competitions. He played a key role in the club's double conquest in 1990, winning both the 1989-90 Coppa Italia and the 1989-90 UEFA Cup. After the 1989-90 season, changes in the club's management led to him being considered outside of the team's future plans.
Subsequently, Barros moved to France, initially signing with AS Monaco FC in 1990 for what was originally a one-year deal but extended to three seasons. Under the management of Arsène Wenger, he played alongside notable players such as George Weah and Youri Djorkaeff, contributing to the club's success, including winning the 1990-91 Coupe de France. He also reached the final of the 1991-92 European Cup Winners' Cup with Monaco, where they were defeated by SV Werder Bremen.
In the 1993 off-season, Barros signed with another French club, Olympique de Marseille. He reunited with his compatriot Paulo Futre during this period. Barros contributed to Marseille's second-place finish in the league. However, the club was subsequently relegated due to its involvement in a match fixing scandal.
3.3. Return to FC Porto and Retirement
In the summer of 1994, Rui Barros returned to his former club, FC Porto. He became an important attacking element during a highly successful period for Porto, contributing significantly to four of the club's five consecutive league titles. Barros continued to play for Porto until he officially retired from professional football in June 2000, at the age of 34, concluding a distinguished playing career primarily with his home club.
4. International Career
While playing for Varzim S.C., Rui Barros caught the attention of the Portugal national football team. He made his senior international debut on 29 March 1987 in a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying match against Malta. The match, held in Funchal, Madeira, ended in a 2-2 draw, with Barros playing the second half.
During his time with Juventus FC, he became a leading player for the national team, although he was unable to help Portugal qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy. Barros was not selected for the squad by manager António Oliveira for UEFA Euro 1996 in England. His final international cap came on 14 December 1996 in a 1998 World Cup qualifying phase match against Germany, which ended in a 0-0 draw in Lisbon. In total, Rui Barros earned 36 caps for the Portugal national team, scoring four goals.
5. Style of Play
Rui Barros was known for his dynamic and hard-working approach on the field. Despite being a diminutive attacking midfielder, standing at 63 in (159 cm), he possessed exceptional speed, stamina, and technical ability. These attributes allowed him to excel, particularly in Juventus's counter-attacking style of play under manager Dino Zoff. Barros was also tactically versatile, capable of playing in various offensive midfield and attacking positions, making him a valuable asset to any team he played for.
6. Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Rui Barros transitioned into a coaching and managerial career, primarily within the FC Porto organization, where he took on various roles, including interim manager and head coach for the reserve team.
6.1. Interim Manager Roles
Rui Barros remained connected to FC Porto after his playing retirement, moving into management. In August 2006, following the resignation of coach Co Adriaanse during the preseason, Barros was appointed as interim coach for two matches. Under his temporary leadership, Porto secured victories against English clubs Portsmouth (2-1) and Manchester City (1-0). He also managed the team for the 2006 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira final on 19 August 2006, where Porto won the domestic supercup with a 3-0 victory over Vitória F.C..
Shortly after, Jesualdo Ferreira was appointed as the permanent manager, and Barros served as his assistant coach during the subsequent campaigns, a period in which Porto notably won the league four times in a row. He later had another interim spell from 8 January 2016 to 21 January 2016.
6.2. FC Porto B Manager
On 13 June 2018, Rui Barros was appointed as the head coach of Porto's reserves, succeeding his former Porto and Portugal teammate António Folha. The reserve team competed in the second tier of Portuguese football. His tenure as manager of FC Porto B lasted until 3 February 2021, when António Folha was reinstated as head coach, with the team in a challenging position at the bottom of the league with 16 games remaining in the 2020-21 Liga Portugal 2 season.
7. Honours
Throughout his distinguished career as both a player and a manager, Rui Barros accumulated numerous collective and individual honours, reflecting his significant impact on the sport.
7.1. As a Player
FC Porto
- Primeira Liga: 1987-88, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99
- Taça de Portugal: 1987-88, 1997-98, 1999-00
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999
- European Super Cup: 1987
- Intercontinental Cup: 1987
Juventus FC
- Coppa Italia: 1989-90
- UEFA Cup: 1989-90
AS Monaco FC
- Coupe de France: 1990-91
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1991-92
7.2. Individual Honours
- Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 1988
7.3. As a Manager
FC Porto
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2006
8. Career Statistics
This section provides detailed statistical data for Rui Barros's professional career, including his international goals and managerial record.
8.1. International Goals
Rui Barros: International goals
| No. | Date | Stadium | City | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 1989 | Ludwigsparkstadion | Saarbrücken | Luxembourg | 0-3 | 0-3 | 1990 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 4 September 1991 | Estádio das Antas | Porto | Austria | 1-0 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 28 April 1993 | Estádio da Luz | Lisbon | Scotland | 1-0 | 5-0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 28 April 1993 | Estádio da Luz | Lisbon | Scotland | 4-0 | 5-0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
8.2. Managerial Record
Managerial record by team and tenure:
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games managed | Games won | Games drawn | Games lost | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Winning percentage | ||||
| Porto (caretaker) |  | 9 August 2006 | 18 August 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00% |
| Porto (caretaker) | | 8 January 2016 | 21 January 2016 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 50.00% |
| Porto B | | 13 June 2018 | 3 February 2021 | 76 | 21 | 23 | 32 | 98 | 110 | -12 | 27.63% |
| Total | 81 | 24 | 23 | 34 | 107 | 112 | -5 | 29.63% | |||