The Hugo Oliveira era officially begins at Strasbourg

The head coach search at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg has come to an end. The French club officially announced Portuguese coach Hugo Oliveira as their new head coach on Sunday evening. The 47-year-old replaces Gary O'Neil, who took charge of newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town at the end of the season, and becomes the club's third head coach in the last eight months.

According to reports, Strasbourg paid around €2 million in compensation to Famalicão, who finished fifth in the Portuguese league; the club preferred Oliveira to former Celtic head coach Wilfried Nancy for the role. The Portuguese coach conveyed his emotions after signing: "It's an honor to be here in Strasbourg and to join such a wonderful project, where history and ambition are perfectly intertwined. I want to bring excitement, create lasting memories, and give my all to help the club continue to grow."

Oliveira's background contains an unusual rise. A goalkeeping coach by trade, he is credited with playing a part in the development of world-class goalkeepers such as Jan Oblak and Ederson during his time at Benfica. He then gained seven years of Premier League experience as Marco Silva's assistant at Hull City, Watford, Everton and Fulham. Taking his first head coaching role at Famalicão in 2024, Oliveira embraces a modern footballing philosophy blending attacking play with a high press.

A demanding task awaits the Portuguese coach at Strasbourg, who share the same umbrella (BlueCo) as Chelsea: taking the team, eliminated in the Conference League semifinal and narrowly missing out on European qualification, back to continental competition. The new coach will lead his first training session on Monday, while the team's pre-season camp in Faro begins on July 19.

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