Years Team 2002–2004 Sporting B (assistant) | Name Leonel Pontes Role Football manager | |
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Full name Leonel Pontes da Encarnacao Date of birth (1972-07-09) 9 July 1972 (age 43) Place of birth Porto da Cruz, Funchal, Portugal 2004–2005 Sporting CP U19 (assistant) | ||
Debreceni VSC Leonel Pontes
Leonel Pontes da Encarnação (born 9 July 1972) is a Portuguese football manager.
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Coaching career
On 8 May 2014, Pontes announced that he would leave his assistant managerial role of the Portugal national team and take over Primeira Liga side Marítimo.
Debrecen
On 8 August 2016, he was appointed as the coach of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Debreceni VSC after the resignation of Elemér Kondás. Pontes signed a three-year contract and he brought his colleagues from Portugal too: José Maria Calado Pratas and José Maria Calado Pratas.
On 14 September 2016, Debrecen were eliminated from the 2016–17 Magyar Kupa after a 1–0 defeat at the ETO Park against the Nemzeti Bajnokság III club Győri ETO FC. Debrecen were the only Nemzeti Bajnokság I club which could not qualify for the best 64 teams.
On 22 February 2017 Pontes-led Debrecen could not win a match in six matches in a row in the 2016–17 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season which occurred 15 years ago in the 2001–02 Nemzeti Bajnokság I.
On 19 March 2017, Géza Róka, the director of Debreceni VSC said that they do not issue an ultimatum to sack Pontes.
On 22 May 2017, Pontes left the club with mutual agreement and he was replaced by András Herczeg for the last round against Diósgyőri VTK to escape from the relegation.