Bryant Lazaro shaping Estoril's style after fast rise into management

According to Goal, American-born coach Bryant Lazaro, 38, is part of the coaching staff at Portuguese top-flight side Estoril after taking a rapid route into management; he became the youngest American to coach a professional club when he took charge of Norway’s Oygarden FK at 32.

Lazaro occupies an uncommon place in the managerial landscape, where most prominent coaches are in their 50s and few have his combination of academic background and early coaching resume. Estoril are 10th in the Primeira Liga, financially stable and described as a community club on Portugal’s west coast, about 30 minutes from Lisbon, playing at the 5,000-seater Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota.

In 18 months in the country he has seen 15 clubs change coaches twice, a reminder of the sport’s unforgiving churn; for now, he is protected and has no immediate plans to leave. Lazaro cites influences such as Bielsa, Mourinho and Ancelotti and says he continues to learn from figures he has worked alongside, including Ian Cathro and Bob Bradley.

Key Topics

Sports, Bryant Lazaro, Estoril, Primeira Liga, Oygarden Fk, Ian Cathro