Paulo Fonseca eyes Premier League job after missing out on Everton gig in 2018
Paulo Fonseca spoke with Everton in 2018 before Marco Silva was appointed, but the Portuguese still dreams of working in the Premier League.
The Toffees made the current Fulham manager Sam Allardyce’s successor heading into the 2018-19 season, but he lasted just 18 months in charge.
Fonseca, 48, had just won his second Ukrainian Premier League title with Shakhtar Donetsk as at the time he spoke with Everton [Telegraph], and he left for AS Roma at the end of 2018-19 having won three titles, three Ukrainian Cups and one Ukrainian Super Cup.
The former Braga and Porto boss was close to joining Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but the move fell through following their appointment of Fabio Paratici as Sporting Director.
The Athletic also reported in June that he was on the radar of the Toffees, but Rafa Benitez got the job in the end.
Nevertheless, Fonseca, who West Ham United also contacted in 2018, is confident he will become a Premier League manager someday.
“I honestly believe this will happen one day and is one of my ambitions to coach in England one day,” he told Telegraph.
“I haven’t done it yet so cannot say my way of coaching is perfect for England. But there is more open teams, teams trying to win, of course more intensity but also space to develop my game.”
Future Everton boss?
The Toffees parted ways with Silva in December 2019 after a 5-2 loss to Liverpool left the team in 18th place, and the decision-makers could have wished they went after Fonseca instead.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced the Portuguese after Duncan Ferguson took temporary charge, and the Italian returned to Real Madrid in the summer, with Benitez taking charge.
The former Reds boss has since led Everton to three wins, a draw and a defeat in their opening five Premier League games of 2021-21, but his side were dumped out of the League Cup during the week by Queens Park Rangers.
Benitez will hope to be at Goodison Park for long, guiding them to Europe and winning them silverware.
Nevertheless, he will leave someday, and Fonseca could be a name in running for the job again.
He has won admirers for himself due to his attacking style of play, and should his Premier League dream come true and he gets the Everton gig, the Toffees fans could love his philosophy if it delivers the results they want.
In other Everton news, South American could join PSG after major Toffees development is confirmed.
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