Nélson Veríssimo

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Silva and the second or paternal family name is Veríssimo.

Nélson Alexandre da Silva Veríssimo (born 17 April 1977) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a centre-back, currently manager of Liga Portugal 2 side Benfica B.

Nélson Veríssimo

Personal information
Full name	Nélson Alexandre da Silva Veríssimo
Date of birth	(1977-04-17) 17 April 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Benfica B (manager)
Youth career
1987–1989	Povoense
1989–1995	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1996	Benfica	4	(0)
1996–2004	Alverca	184	(3)
1997	→ Académica (loan)	7	(0)
1998–1999	→ Académica (loan)	30	(0)
2004–2007	Vitória Setúbal	64	(0)
2007–2011	Fátima	112	(4)
2011–2012	Mafra	25	(0)
Total		426	(7)
International career
1994	Portugal U17	3	(0)
1994	Portugal U18	2	(0)
1996-1997	Portugal U20	10	(1)
1997–2000	Portugal U21	19	(0)
2000	Portugal B	2	(1)
Managerial career
2012–2019	Benfica B (assistant)
2019	Benfica B (caretaker)
2019–2020	Benfica (assistant)
2020	Benfica (caretaker)
2020–2021	Benfica B
2021–2022	Benfica (caretaker)
2022–2023	Estoril
2023–	Benfica B
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Formed at Benfica, he totalled 221 Primeira Liga games with that team, Académica de Coimbra, Alverca and Vitória de Setúbal (Taça de Portugal winner in 2005), as well as 149 in the second division for Alverca and Fátima. He earned 36 caps for Portugal up to under-21 and B-team level.

As a manager, Veríssimo held several roles at Benfica, including twice being caretaker manager of the first team, and two spells in charge of the reserves. He also led Estoril in the top flight.

Playing career

Veríssimo was born in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District. During his professional career, the youth graduate at S.L. Benfica (having joined the club's youth system at the age of 12, he only appeared in four first-team games during his short spell)^[1] represented F.C. Alverca – the first of his spells being while they acted as the former's farm team^[2][3]– Académica de Coimbra, Vitória de Setúbal, C.D. Fátima and C.D. Mafra.

Signed for Fátima by Rui Vitória, Veríssimo's four seasons at the Estádio João Paulo II involved their only three seasons in the Segunda Liga; their only national title, the 2008–09 Segunda Divisão won against Leonardo Jardim's G.D. Chaves; as well as a run to the fourth round of the Taça da Liga in 2007–08 via a penalty shootout win over FC Porto.^[4]

Coaching career

Veríssimo rejoined Benfica immediately after retiring, being appointed assistant coach with the reserves in the second division, first under Luís Norton de Matos,^[5] then former teammate at the club Hélder Cristóvão.^[6][7] In January 2019, as Bruno Lage was named caretaker manager at the main squad, he assumed the same position in the secondary team;^[8] he returned to the latter's technical staff shortly after, now permanently in charge of the main squad.^[9]

When Lage resigned in July 2020, after Benfica fell into second place behind FC Porto in the closing stages of the season, Veríssimo took interim charge of the first team;^[10] he won 3–1 at home to Boavista F.C. on his debut.^[11]

After the appointment of Jorge Jesus as manager of the first team, Veríssimo was named manager of the reserves, replacing Renato Paiva. In December 2021, after Jesus was sacked, he was again named interim of the main squad, leaving Benfica B as leader of the Portuguese second league.^[12] He led the team into the Final of the Taça da Liga, losing 2–1 against Sporting CP.^[13] Benfica remained trophyless, and Veríssimo guided the club to the Champions League quarter-finals, losing to Liverpool 6–4 on aggregate and a disappointing third place finish, qualifying to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.^[14][15]

After leaving Benfica at the end of the season, Veríssimo was announced as the new manager of G.D. Estoril Praia on 2 July 2022, replacing Bruno Pinheiro.^[16] He was dismissed the following 24 February with the team 15th after 21 games, albeit seven points outside the relegation play-off place.^[17]

On 6 July 2023, Benfica announced that Veríssimo would return as head coach of the B team for the 2023–24 season.^[18]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 1 November 2023

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record								Ref
			G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Benfica B (caretaker)	3 January 2019	15 January 2019	3	0	1	2	5	7	−2	000.00	[19]
Benfica (caretaker)	30 June 2020	1 August 2020	6	4	1	1	13	5	+8	066.67	[20]
Benfica B	25 December 2020	28 December 2021	36	18	10	8	64	38	+26	050.00	[21]
Benfica (caretaker)	28 December 2021	13 March 2022	25	12	7	6	41	29	+12	048.00	[12]
Estoril	1 July 2022	24 February 2023	29	7	6	16	26	43	−17	024.14	[16]
Benfica B	1 July 2023	28 December 2021	8	2	2	4	12	14	−2	025.00
Total			106	42	27	37	161	136	+25	039.62	—

Honours

Player

Vitória Setúbal

• Taça de Portugal: 2004–05^[22]

Fátima

• Portuguese Second Division: 2008–09^[4]

Manager

Individual

• Liga Portugal 2 Manager of the Month: January 2024^[23]

References

1. "Ramirez e Veríssimo renovam com Benfica" [Ramirez and Veríssimo renew with Benfica]. Record (in Portuguese). 26 June 1999. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
2. "Veríssimo: "Temos condições para vencer o Benfica"" [Veríssimo: "We can beat Benfica"]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 May 2001. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
3. "Veríssimo desafia Benfica" [Veríssimo challenges Benfica]. Record (in Portuguese). 26 March 2004. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
4. Garcia, Claudio (10 July 2020). "Quando Veríssimo comandou a defesa do melhor CD Fátima de sempre" [When Veríssimo commanded the defence of the greatest ever CD Fátima]. Jornal de Leiria (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 March 2023.
5. "Benfica "B" já trabalha: conheça algumas caras" [Benfica «B» already at work: get to know some of the faces] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
6. "Benfica B vence mas continua nos lugares de descida" [Benfica B win but are still in relegation zone]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 16 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
7. "Torneio do UA Povoense com grandes nomes do futebol português" [UA Povoense tournament with big names of Portuguese football]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 April 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
8. ""Bruno Lage? Está mais do que preparado"" ["Bruno Lage? He's more than ready"]. Notícias ao Minuto (in Portuguese). 5 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
9. "Equipa técnica já foi reforçada" [Technical staff has already been reinforced]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
10. "A BOLA".
11. Marques, Pedro Miguel (5 July 2020). "Análise: Veríssimo mudou um pouco, Gabriel mudou muito e o Benfica voltou a ganhar" [Veríssimo changed a bit, Gabriel changed a lot and Benfica returned to winning ways]. SAPO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 July 2020.
12. "Equipa técnica de Nélson Veríssimo definida". www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2022.
13. "Sporting CP é bicampeão de Inverno!". Liga Portugal. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
14. Agre, João (13 May 2022). "Antevisão: É sexta-feira 13 e o Benfica despede-se da época na Mata Real para espantar os males" [Match preview: It is Friday the 13th, and Benfica say goodbye to the current season at Mata Real to ward off evils]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 May 2022.
15. "Benfica despede-se com honra (e golos) diante do Liverpool" [Benfica bid farewell with honour (and goals) before Liverpool]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 13 April 2022. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
16. "Estoril oficializa Nélson Veríssimo" [Estoril confirm Nélson Veríssimo]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
17. Gouveia Pereira, Miguel (24 February 2023). "Nélson Veríssimo deixa o Estoril e já não orienta a equipa em Alvalade" [Nélson Veríssimo leaves Estoril and will not lead the team at Alvalade]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 March 2023.
18. "Experiência e ADN benfiquista com olhos para o futuro!" [Experience and 'benfiquista' DNA with eyes for the future!] (in European Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
19. "Nélson Alexandre da Silva Veríssimo :: Benfica :: Estatísticas :: Títulos :: Palmarés :: Histórico :: Jogos :: Notícias :: Videos :: Fotos :: Zerozero.pt".
20. "Nélson Alexandre da Silva Veríssimo :: Benfica :: Estatísticas :: Títulos :: Palmarés :: Histórico :: Jogos :: Notícias :: Videos :: Fotos :: Zerozero.pt".
21. "Benfica B: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
22. "V. Setúbal – Sp. Braga: 3–2". Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 2 March 2005. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
23. "Nélson Veríssimo wins the Vítor Oliveira Award - Manager of the Month". Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

External links

• Nélson Veríssimo at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Nélson Veríssimo national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)