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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Chiefs FC have appointed Portuguese national Nilton Terroso as their new head coach, Chronicle Sport can reveal.

Terroso worked under current Manchester United manager Ole Solskjaer when he was in charge of Cardiff City in 2014.

Chiefs have been keeping the identity of their incoming coach a secret while working on his work permit.

Chronicle Sport can reveal that Terroso, a dual citizen of Portugul and Canada, will touch down at the Robert Gabriel

Mugabe International Airport in Harare on Tuesday, before proceeding to Bulawayo on Wednesday on Wednesday evening.

The France-born coach has a colourful CV and will be bringing his own assistant, whose identity will be revealed in due course.

Torroso’s assistant will jet in on Wednesday and Chiefs are hoping that they will manage to secure an evening flight to Bulawayo for the two expatriates.

Chronicle Sport is in possession of Torreso’s resume, which details his qualifications and experience.

The incoming Chiefs coach was Cardiff City’s head of Sports Science and Fitness Coach when the club returned to the English Premiership after a 51-year absence in 2013.

This was after they won the Football League Championship in the 2012/13 season.

“I began my coaching career as Head of Sports Science at Cardiff City FC academy, while also being assistant coach and fitness coach to the Under-18s and head coach of the Under-15s. In 2011 I was invited by Mr Malky Mackay to join the Cardiff City FC senior management coaching staff as head of Sports Science and Fitness Coach. I fulfilled that role for the next three seasons, including reaching the English League Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium (2011/12) and the 2012-2013 season in which we were champions and ensured our promotion to the English Premier League.

“In 2014, while continuing to work alongside the senior team, I was appointed the Head Coach of the Cardiff City Professional Development Squad (U-23 team) by the senior team manager Ole Solskjaer,” reads Torroso’s CV.

Born on September 13, 1979, in Remiremont, France, his family decided to move to British Columbia, Canada, when he was one-year-old.

Before moving to Portugal in 1995 to play professional football, Torroso represented the British Columbia provincial team and in the Canadian National Championships and also represented Canada Under-23 in the 2001 Francophone Games.

In Portugal, he played for S.C. Lourinhanense, a well-known feeder club for Sporting Lisbon between 1995-2002.
Torroso then enrolled for High Performance football coaching in the United Kingdom in 2005.

“I spent the next 10 years (2005-2015) in the UK, initially educating myself academically in football specific sports science and high-performance soccer coaching at the University of Glamorgan and South Wales. I began my coaching career as Head of Sports Science at Cardiff City FC academy, while also being assistant coach and fitness coach to the Under-18s and head coach of the Under-15s.

“In 2015 I moved back to Portugal to pursue my coaching career; I was invited to become head coach of Atletico Clube de Portugal in the Portuguese Second Division. I have coached professionally in Portugal ever since,” he says.
Torroso describes himself as “capable of bringing a very strong methodology and philosophy based on my principles, modern scientific research and my own personal beliefs”.

He says he has a holistic coaching style and a detailed approach based on discipline, trust and organisation.

“I consider myself an educator as I believe coaches are teachers and players are the students that need to learn the game. I can successively transfer and apply my knowledge to improve player performance on and of the pitch in a pragmatic manner within the given context. My experience with younger developmental age groups allows me to competently create pathways and understand transition from academy to senior professional football.

“Having worked at the highest levels of European football, I can bring that understanding, experience and knowledge to help develop and implement day to day protocols, training methodologies, and create a football culture (whether that be club or country) within any given context. I can create a football culture for not only increased probability of immediate results but for the foundation of a stronger and more successful team (club or country) in the future.

I want to continue to learn, develop my methodologies and seek experiences within other soccer cultures. I enjoy surrounding myself with people who can help me develop and learn by sharing experiences and knowledge,” Torroso says.
With such an impressive CV, Torroso has charmed Chiefs and the club will be hoping the expatriate will help them towards fulfilling their dreams of being a club of choice for youngsters as well as being among the top championship contenders.

Mark Mathe, who worked with Briton Mark Harrison at Harare City, Farai Tawachera and ex-Highlanders winger Abraham Mbaiwa will tap into Torroso’ expertise.

The trio were in charge of Chiefs in Thursday’s 1-1 Chibuku Super Cup draw against Highlanders and tomorrow they lead their side in search of a first tournament victory against Bulawayo City FC at Barbourfields Stadium.

Chiefs sit here on two points and retain a mathematical chance of progressing to the next round in the event that they win both their games against Bulawayo City and Chicken Inn, and Highlanders lose their remaining games.

Torroso’s first assignment will be against Chicken Inn in their last Chibuku Super Cup Group B game.
-@ZililoR