Hugo Viana cut his Premier League teeth at Newcastle as a player but struggled to adapt to Premier League – now he’s set to take charge of Manchester City as their new Director of Football
Hugo Viana is about to become one of the most important power-brokers in world football – a far cry from a team mate mocking his pace at Newcastle.
Former midfielder Viana has been appointed director of football at Manchester City, succeeding Txiki Begiristain. It’s his first job back in England since he was bought by Sir Bobby Robson, scored the goal that qualified Newcastle for the Champions League… and was slaughtered for his lack of pace by a colleague.
Viana was a thoughtful, charming star when he joined the Geordies for £8.5m in June 2002. He has traded on his intelligence and speed of thought to land – outside of playing or managing – one of the best jobs in the game.
But he’s taken the hard knocks of a playing career that didn’t fulfil the early hype – Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd said he was signing the best prospect in world football – to be the man to guide City through a potentially turbulent period with Pep Guardiola yet to commit to managing beyond this season.
Viana was a classy midfielder when he arrived on Tyneside as a 19 year-old from Sporting Lisbon, and was tipped as the future of Portuguese football. He had a great passing range, was hard to press, and had a lovely free-kick in his locker.
Physically the Premier League was tough… and quick. “Hugo Viana? He runs like he’s got a fridge on his back…” one team-mate once claimed when I interviewed him. “It’s funny… sometimes I play the ball just a bit too far into space ahead of him to see if he can sprint to catch it…”
Harsh times and a tough dressing room to impress that included Craig Bellamy. Viana was signed to replace Gary Speed, who was generous with his time and mentored the young Viana who initially struggled with the language. But Speed’s form kept him in the team. Jermaine Jenas, Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert were also tough competition to oust.
Viana only scored four times, including in one of the great Toon Champions League games, the comeback against Feyenoord. A free-kick against Birmingham in May 2003, ensured a top-four finish, but Viana was loaned back to Sporting Lisbon and had five years at Valencia with loans to Osasuna and a very successful spell at Braga.
There was also the lucky story of a wedding run being found on the Town Moor by a seven-year-old kid out sledging.. It has “Hugo” inscribed, so the family called the club. Indeed it was the ring of Viana’s wife Raquel, who was reunited with it and the finders treated to tickets for a UEFA Cup game against Real Mallorca.
Viana also played in two World Cups and Euro 2012. Becoming Lisbon’s Sporting Director in 2018, he oversaw the sale of Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, and £100m of sales to the Premier League in summer 2022, including Pedro Porro to Spurs.
Now he will use his connections to keep City at the top, and stop his former club Newcastle, now Saudi owned and ambitious, from becoming challengers.
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