Paulo Torres

Paulo Manuel Banha Torres (born 25 November 1971) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left-back, currently manager of Angolan club C.D. Huíla.

Paulo Torres

Personal information
Full name	Paulo Manuel Banha Torres
Date of birth	(1971-11-25) 25 November 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Évora, Portugal
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Huíla (manager)
Youth career
1983–1985	SL Évora
1985–1989	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1989–1995	Sporting CP	65	(7)
1991	→ Atlético (loan)	1	(1)
1995–1996	Campomaiorense	23	(0)
1996–1998	Salamanca	29	(1)
1998	Rayo Vallecano	8	(0)
1999	Chaves	10	(1)
1999–2000	Leganés	8	(0)
2000–2001	Torreense	26	(1)
2001–2002	Penafiel	16	(0)
2002–2003	Imortal	20	(3)
Total		206	(14)
International career
1988–1989	Portugal U18	21	(4)
1990–1991	Portugal U20	12	(6)
1992–1994	Portugal U21	23	(3)
1992	Portugal	2	(0)
Managerial career
2003–2004	Peniche
2004–2006	Fátima
2006	Barreirense
2007	Bombarralense
2007–2009	Rio Maior
2009–2011	Torreense
2011–2012	Atlético Reguengos
2012–2013	Torreense
2013	Sporting Bissau
2013–2016	Guinea-Bissau
2017–2018	Interclube
2018	Kabuscorp
2019–2020	Sagrada Esperança
2021–2022	Libolo
2022–	Huíla
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 1991 Portugal UEFA European Under-21 Championship Runner-up 1994 France UEFA European Under-17 Championship Runner-up 1988 Spain
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Torres was born in Évora, Alentejo Region. During his career, which was spent entirely in his country and Spain, the free kick specialist^[1] played for Sporting CP (this included a very brief loan at Lisbon neighbours Atlético Clube de Portugal), S.C. Campomaiorense, UD Salamanca – spending one season each in the country's two major divisions – Rayo Vallecano, G.D. Chaves, CD Leganés, S.C.U. Torreense, F.C. Penafiel and Imortal DC, retiring at 31.^[2][3]

Torres was part of the Portugal national under-20 team, dubbed The Golden Generation, that won the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship on home soil, scoring two goals through long-distance free kicks and three in total during the tournament.^[4] He also won two full caps, both the following year.^[5]

Coaching career

Torres took up coaching immediately after retiring as a player, managing exclusively in the lower leagues in Portugal. On 29 November 2013, he was appointed as head coach of the Guinea-Bissau national team.^[6]

In September 2015, Torres received a four-match ban from the Confederation of African Football for abusing a referee during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification game against Zambia three months earlier.^[7] He was sacked in March of the following year, after a 3–1 loss to Liberia.^[8]

Torres worked in the Angolan Girabola the following seasons, successively being in charge of G.D. Interclube,^[9] Kabuscorp SCP,^[10] G.D. Sagrada Esperança^[11] and C.R.D. Libolo.^[12]

Honours

Sporting CP

• Taça de Portugal: 1994–95

Portugal U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1991^[4]