Grêmio announced this Friday, December 12th, the hiring of Portuguese coach Luís Castro, aged 64. The coach signed a two-season contract, valid until the end of 2027, with the possibility of renewal for another year. The officialization took place in Porto Alegre, succeeding Mano Menezes, who left office after the end of Brasileirão.
The agreement was reached after intense negotiations in recent days. Documentos have been exchanged since Thursday, with the final version of the contract sent and signed this Friday. Castro returns to Brazilian football after playing for Botafogo between 2022 and 2023.
- The club highlighted the arrival on social media with references to Portuguese tiles.
- Castro had been free since November, after breaking up with Al-Wasl, in the Emirados Árabes Unidos.
- He is the second European to command the Grêmio in history, after the Hungarian László Székely in 1954.
Tricolor management was looking for a professional with international experience to start a new cycle in 2026.
WELCOME TO OUR HOME! 🇪🇪 A winning coach on an Imortal team. Este is Luís Castro, Grêmio’s new coach!
— Grêmio FBPA (@Gremio)December 12, 2025
May 2026 be one of victories and achievements. Juntos, whatever happens!pic.twitter.com/MlmAkUgP0W
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Grêmio published images alluding to Portuguese culture to introduce the new commander. The post emphasized the expectation for achievements in the next season.
Castro arrives accompanied by a complete technical committee. The group is already monitoring the current squad and young people at the base.
Complete technical committee
Luís Castro brings six trusted professionals to form his team at Grêmio.
Members include:
- Auxiliaries Vítor Severino and Pedro Mané.
- Goalkeeper trainer Daniel Correia.
- Performance Analyst Nuno Baptista.
- Physical trainers Nuno Cerdeira and Roberto Júnior, Betinho, the only Brazilian in the group.
Betinho has a previous stint at Flamengo. Pedro Mané and Nuno Cerdeira joined Castro in Al-Nassr, in Arábia Saudita.
The committee is majority Portuguese, except for Betinho. João Brandão, who worked with Castro at Botafogo, is not part of the new team.
This structure reflects the work model consolidated by the coach in previous clubs.
Trajectory of Luís Castro
Luís Manuel Ribeiro from Castro started his career as a coach at smaller clubs from Portugal. Ele played at Porto’s base for a decade, winning the second division with the B team.
Passages for Rio Ave, Chaves and Vitória of Guimarães marked his rise in Portuguese football.
In Shakhtar Donetsk, in Ucrânia, he won the national championship in his debut season. The coach also commanded Al-Duhail, in Catar, and Al-Nassr, where he won Liga from Campeões Árabes.
In Botafogo, he managed 81 games, with 44 wins, 15 draws and 22 defeats. The team led part of Brasileirão 2023 before its departure for Al-Nassr.
His last job was at Al-Wasl, with 14 matches, nine wins, three draws and two defeats. The termination occurred by mutual agreement in November.
Castro is known for implementing modern methodologies and valuing the development of young athletes.
Passage through Botafogo
Castro arrived at Botafogo in 2022, in the SAF era commanded by John Textor. The beginning was challenging, but the team grew over the next Brasileirão.
The team won Taça Rio in 2023. The coach left the club in June of that year to take over Al-Nassr, from Cristiano Ronaldo.
During this period, he achieved achievements such as the state trophy. Sua exit occurred when Botafogo was leading the national championship.
Recent international experience
After Botafogo, Castro ran Al-Nassr between 2023 and 2024.
It achieved Liga of the Campeões Árabes in 2023. Parte of the current commission was formed during this period.
At Al-Wasl, in 2025, he led the team for five months. Registrou good performance, with a high number of goals scored.
The experience on Oriente Médio reinforced his resume with titles and work on multinational casts.
History on Grêmio
Grêmio ended 2025 in ninth place compared to Brasileirão, guaranteeing a place in the Sul-Americana 2026. Mano Menezes was informed of the non-continuation on the Tuesday before the announcement.
The new management, led by Odorico Roman, prioritized Castro as the main option. The coach will have influence on the youth teams.
The club plans specific hires and strengthening the analysis department. The pre-season starts in January 2026.
Castro takes over with a focus on tactical organization and integration of under-17 youth.