Armando Evangelista

Armando Evangelista Macedo Freitas (born 3 November 1973) is a Portuguese football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.

Career

Vitória Guimarães

In the summer of 2010, three seasons after finishing his professional career as a player, Evangelista embarked on his managerial career by taking charge of Vitória S.C.'s under-19 team. After two seasons there, he departed to take charge of F.C. Vizela in the third tier.

Evangelista's stay with Vizela was short-lived, and in April 2013 he returned to Vitória to manage its reserve side in Segunda Liga until the end of the season. Despite claiming 9 points from a possible 21, he was unable to prevent relegation to the third tier.

However, Evangelista's stay was prolonged and in 2013–14 season he led the Conquistadores to a first-place finish, and thus promotion back to the second tier. The following season, he took them to 9th. He was subsequently named manager of the first team in June 2015 after Rui Vitória's departure from the club.

After just five league matches – a win and a loss each – and elimination from the UEFA Europa League qualifiers by Austria's SC Rheindorf Altach, Evangelista was dismissed on 21 September.

Three clubs in four years

In May 2016, Evangelista succeeded Nuno Capucho at Varzim S.C. in the second tier. He left on 13 October, with the team in 12th.

In September 2017, Evangelista returned to the same league at 15th-placed F.C. Penafiel for the rest of the season. He then signed on for the following campaign, in which he took the team to 8th then left to be replaced by Miguel Leal.

Evangelista returned to work on 5 February 2020, at U.D. Vilafranquense, presiding over only four games as the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then turning down a new deal.

Arouca

On 15 May 2020, Evangelista moved to second-tier newcomers F.C. Arouca. In his first season, Arouca came third and then defeated Rio Ave F.C. in the play-offs to reach the Primeira Liga for the first time since 2017. After a win over Moreirense F.C. the team made the Taça da Liga semi-finals for the first time the 2022–23 season, where they lost 2–1 to Sporting CP. The league season ended with a club joint-best fifth place, qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League. Evangelista then turned down a contract renewal and left the club.

Goiás

On 9 June 2023, it was reported that Evangelista accepted an offer from Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Goiás Esporte Clube to become their new head coach. On 14 November, he was dismissed with the club in the relegation zone.

Famalicão

On 20 March 2024, Evangelista returned to Portugal as he was named manager of top tier side F.C. Famalicão on a deal until the end of the campaign, replacing João Pedro Sousa who had left by mutual consent a day earlier.