Our Fernando Santos Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents – Francisco Santos (Father), Maria de Lurdes Fernandes Santos (Mother), Family Background, Wife (Guilhermina), Children – Cátia (daughter), Luís Santos (Son), etc.

The Life story of Fernando Santos also unveils facts about his Relatives – daughters-in-law (Sónia, Isabel Figueira), grandchildren (Rodrigo, Pilar, Francisco), etc.

More so, we’ll unveil the friendly Portuguese managers’ Ethnicity, Family Origin, Personal Life, Lifestyle and Net Worth.

In a nutshell, this article breaks down the Full History of Fernando Santos. This is the story of a Managerial Football Genius who hails from a car accessories business family.

Fernando is more than just a soccer coach but also an electrician. Yes, not many soccer fans know he has an Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering degree.

Did you know?… It wasn’t Fernando Santos’ idea to attend a university. Achieving his higher education was forced on him by his Dad.

Despite being a staunch Benfica fan, Francisco (his Dad) initially rejected his son to play for Benfica. He only approved him under the condition that Fernando becomes an Engineer.

Preamble:

LifeBogger’s version of Fernando Santos’ Biography begins by telling you notable events of his boyhood days.

Next, we’ll tell you about the Portuguese Manager’s playing career days which ended when he was 33.

What follows next is his early managerial days and how he became one of the biggest household names in Portuguese Football.

As you read our version of Fernando Santos’ Biography, we hope to steer your autobiography interest.

To begin doing that, let’s first show you this gallery of the Coach’s youthful years and rise. You see this Great Man?… he has come a long way in his amazing life journey.

In the world of football, this Legendary coaching figure is often considered a “special man.” Engr. Fernando Santos has, over the years, given his players the values which he advocates as a person.

In fact, some Portuguese football fans compare him to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal.

Why do they love him so much?.. It was simply because of this moment – which many call the greatest in Portuguese football history.

Despite the many things this man has done to uplift Portuguese football, we notice a knowledge gap.

LifeBogger found that not many soccer lovers have read an in-depth version of Fernando Santos Biography, which is very exciting. So without further ado, let’s begin.

Fernando Santos Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, he bears the nicknames – “Sono” and “Engenheiro do Penta” (Penta’s Engineer). And his Full names are Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos GOM.

The coach was born on the 10th day of October 1954 to his Mother, Maria de Lurdes Fernandes Santos and Father, Francisco Santos (Father), in Lisbon, Portugal.

Fernando Santos’ parents had him at the Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital. This hospital (founded on the 5th day of December 1932) is a public Central Hospital serving the Greater Lisbon area.

Fernando Santos is one, among other children (who are unknown), born to his parents – Maria and Francisco, at this hospital.

Early Life:

As a child, Fernando Santos shared a great bond with his father, Francisco. To date, the Coach speaks about his late Dad with respect and admiration, a man whom he says has incredible hardness.

Francisco Santos (his Father) was a man who hardly admitted to his fault, and he was extremely scrupulous in everything. This includes what he wanted his son (Fernando) to become in life.

The Portuguese coach’s football knowledge came from his Dad. This is a man who saw his son’s education as primary before football.

When Fernando Santos was a child, his father took him to Estádio Da Luz (for the first time) to watch the Legendary Eusébio. Those years were in the early 1960s when this Legend and the Legendary Pele ruled the world of Football.

Fernando Santos Family Background:

To start with, the Portuguese football manager was born to middle-class parents. The income from the family came mostly from Fernando Santos’ Dad, who was a car accessories dealer.

Francisco Santos, before his death, was a well-respected businessman who sold and supplied car parts to his customers, who were mostly in Alfama and Lisbon. Francisco Santos also had an auto industry, a reason why he wanted his son to become an Engineer.

Ti Chico (a nickname for Francisco Santos) was also a former goalkeeper. He was a man who loved to enjoy the small pleasures of life, like eating lots of snails and drinking a few beers.

Francisco Santos, who lived for 97 years, is a man of rules and incredible hardness. These were the traits that gave Fernando’s Dad to success the means to succeed as a car accessories businessman.

Fernando Santos Family Origin:

Portugal appears to be the only nationality of the Euro 2016 winning Manager.

Regarding where (in Portugal) Fernando Santos’ parents come from, our research points to two places. The first is Alfama (in Lisbon), and the second is Sorgassosa.

While Francisco Santos (his Dad) has his family origins in the Alfama area of Lisbon, his Mother (Maria de Lurdes) is from Sorgassosa.

Santos Mum’s origin is a small village in the municipality of Arganil, Coimbra District, around Central Portugal.

Maria de Lurdes’ ancestry is traced to Madeira (an autonomous region of Portugal), a report says. Here is a map explaining Fernando Santos’ origins – from both his mother’s and father’s sides.

Fernando Santos Ethncity:

Regarding his cultural identification, the first UEFA Nations League winning coach identifies with the Portuguese people.

In other words, Fernando Santos belongs to an ethnic group that is indigenous to Portugal. Research has it that his ethnic identification (the Portuguese people) accounts for around 95% of the total population in Portugal.

Fernando Santos Education:

As a child, the football manager’s parents wanted him to attend a technical school. It is confirmed that Fernando Santos attended Escola Afonso Domingos, a technical school.

He enrolled at the school quite early, and by the age of 15, the son of Francisco and Maria was already an Electrician. The next request from Fernando Santos parents (notably his Dad) was for him to further his studies.

Before the Portuguese manager turned 23, he (who combined football and studies) had already gotten his University degree.

Fernando Santos has a university degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering. The Portuguese coach graduated from the Instituto de Engenharia e Lisboa.

Career Buildup:

As a youth, Fernando Santos biggest challenge was the need to convince his Father (a staunch Bendifica fan) that he wanted to play football for a living.

The boy initially began playing with Clube da Luz, a local academy in his neighbourhood.

Despite being good with his books, Fernando’s Dad would not allow him to follow the part of football. The younger decided to go the extra limit, which he believed would change his Dad’s mind.

Fernando, who at that time played occasional football with his local team called Operário Lisboa applied and passed Benfica trails.

Santos thought that announcing the news to his Dad would make him happy and possibly change his mind.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case, as Francisco Santos (surprisingly) did not get impressed. In Fernando’s words;

“On the day I knew I was going to play for Benfica, I went home very happy and told my father about the news. To my greatest shock, he replied, ‘no, no.’ At first, I thought my Dad didn’t understand that it was Benfica.

In fact, he just told me to forget the idea. My father had a rethink two hours after I broke the news to him. He came to me and said I should go but on the grounds that I must not fail my school exams.“

Fernando Santos Biography – Football Story:

The future Portuguese manager joined a club which is still regarded as one of the best in the country.

Initially, multitasking between his studies (to please his Dad) and playing football became difficult for Fernando Santos.

The then-youngster knew the importance of attending Benfica training. Surprisingly, Fernando never liked football training in a group.

Despite reading his Engineering books and disliking group football training, an intelligent Fernando Santos found a way to excel as a central defender.

His then-Benfica English coach, who goes by the name of Jimmy Hagan, loved Fernando for his versatility and strength. He would sometimes move Santos to play Defensive midfield and see him perform well in that area. 

In the month of September 1973, the coach (Jimmy Hagan) left Benfica for Estoril. He could not find any other player like Fernando Santos at his new club.

Because of that, Jimmy pressed buttons to have his old boy (who was very loyal to him) at his new club. That made Fernando Santos Benfica’s career become short-lived, as he joined his favourite English coach, Jimmy Hagan, at Estoril.

Fernando was 19 years old (just after his academy graduation) when he joined his old Boss at Estoril.

Fernando Santos parents approved the move because the club was still within the city of Lisbon, where the family lived. Transferring there would still allow him to concentrate on his Engineering studies.

At that time he continued playing with his former Boss, Fernando Santos had enrolled at the Higher Institute of Engineering in Lisbon.

At last, the promise made to his Dad was fulfilled in 1977. That was the year the future Greece and Portugal national team coach obtained his degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Fernando Santos Bio – Road to Fame Story:

After his graduation, the tall, broad-shouldered central defender focused fully on his career. Fernando’s improved focus helped Estoril, achieve great heights. Thanks to his contribution, the club achieved its best height in Portuguese football.

In the 79–80 season, Santos (after Jimmy Hagan’s departure) moved to another team, Marítimo. A season later, he returned to his beloved Estoril, where he spent additional five years before retiring in 1987 (aged 33).

Early Years in Football Management:

Owing to his great intellectual ability, Fernando Santos began working as a manager as soon as he retired from football.

The early coaching courses he took before retirement earned him his first managerial job with Estoril, the club he retired from.

Fernando Santos began as an assistant with the club before becoming a full-time manager in 1988 (a year after he hung his boots as a player from the club).

His biggest managerial achievement with Estoril was helping them return to the Portuguese top tier in 1991.

Early Managerial fame:

After Estoril, Fernando Santos (who was still fond of living in Lisbon) accepted a job with Estrela Amadora.

This is a Portuguese sports club based in Amadora, northwest of Lisbon city. After four years of good performance, the Lisbon native earned himself a job with FC Porto.

When he got the Porto job, the Engineer (because he needed his children’s stability) decided to go to Porto alone. He did his managerial duties in Porto while his family stayed in Lisbon.

While at FC Porto, Fernando Santos earned the reputation of being one of the best football coaches in the country. He helped the Portuguese giants win the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

After leading FC Porto to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League (before Jose Mourinho‘s arrival), Santos began to receive big coaching offers abroad.

In 2001, the Portuguese manager accepted an offer with AEK Athens in the Super League Greece.

After winning a domestic cup, Santos accepted another coaching offer with Panathinaikos. For unknown reasons, he left the club by mutual consent after spending only four months.

Moving back and forth (Portugal and Greece):

For the 2003–2004 season, Fernando Santos finally returned to his country. This time, he replaced László Bölöni at Sporting CP. The Portuguese coach was sacked on the 2nd day of June 2004 after his team finished 3rd in the league.

That same 2004, Santos moved back to Greece again, where he joined AEK Athens. He helped the club to a consecutive top-three finish and was voted Manager of the year in 2005.

After the above managerial achievement, Fernando got a job with his childhood club, Benfica. Just after Ronald Koeman left, he assumed the position of command at the club that saw him born into football.

Santos could only stay there (at Benfica) for one season before moving to his second home, Greece.

In that country again, he got a job with PAOK Thessaloniki, simply known as PAOK. Engineer Santos led the team to the Champions League qualification, which earned him recognition from the country’s football association.

Fernando Santos Biography – Rise to National Fame:

A month after he announced his decision to leave POAK, the coach (who has worked a lot with Greek players) accepted the offer to coach the country’s national team.

As Greece’s national team manager, Fernando Santos helped the country qualify for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. The Portuguese manager commanded a Sokratis Papastathopoulos Greek side to the last eight before being knocked out by Germany – managed by Joachim Löw.

Next, Fernando Santos achieved global fame status at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He helped Greece defeat Didier Drogba‘s Ivory Coast, and he drew with Japan to reach the tournament’s knockout stage for the very first time.

Unfortunately, Greece got knocked out by Costa Rica, a country that had Joel Campbell as their topmost performer.

Managing the Portuguese national team:

Two months after the FIFA World Cup, Fernando Santos was chosen as the new Portugal coach. The country’s former coach, Paulo Bento, was fired after allowing USA and Germany to top their group at the 2014 World Cup.

Big names like Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey (USA Stars) prevented Portugal from reaching the knockout stages of the 2014 World Cup.

In a new era with Portugal, Fernando Santos began to make positive headlines. He injected the likes of Renato Sanches, Cédric Soares, Rafael Guerreiro, Rafa Silva, Andre Gomes, etc to give his squad more depth at Euro 2016.

In that tournament, Santos’ Portugal team was undefeated. The country, which failed to reach the knockout stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, defeated France (managed by Didier Deschamps) to win the Euro 2016 trophy.

The unforgettable moment with Ronaldo:

One of the greatest highlights of the tournament was the moment the Portuguese coach lived alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the final minutes of the Euro 2016. Fernando Santos could remember CR7 telling him;

‘old man, old man, we’ve won…’,

These were the words of the person many regards as football’s GOAT, a Legend Fernando Santos met when he managed Sporting CP in 2003. Here is the video of that unforgettable moment between two Legends of Portuguese football.

Helping Portugal achieve this historic feat earned Fernando Santos the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit honour. Other heroes of Portugal (the UEFA Euro 2016 winners) like João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, Cristiano Ronaldo, etc, also received the Portuguese Honorific Order of civil merit honour.

The next big achievement for Santos was finishing third in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. After a 2018 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 loss to Edinson Cavani‘s Uruguay side, the coach made up for the loss.

This time, he helped Portugal to conquer a rising Belgium side (composed of Lukaku and Kevin DeBruyne) to lift the first-ever UEFA Nations League title.

At the time of creating Fernando Santos Biography, his Portugal side is set to take the 2022 FIFA World Cup by storm.

Having Big names like Diego Jota, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Ruben Neves, Nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes, Otavio, etc, brings lots of hope to the country.

For the son of Francisco and Maria, winning the biggest tournament in football (the World Cup) will confirm his legacy as the Greatest Coach in international football. The rest, as we say, is now history.

About Guilhermina – Fernando Santos Wife:

The Portuguese Coach found the love of his life quite early, during his playing career years with Estoril. Based on calculations, the Euro 2016 winning coach has been married for more than 43 years. Guilhermina is Fernando Santos’ Wife.

As to what Santos wife does for a living, research has it that Guilhermina is a retired primary school teacher.

It is clear that Guilhermina is a loyal wife to her husband, Fernando. It is on record that the couple have not had any publicly known marital issues since their over four decades of being husband and wife.

Guilhermina is the type who follows her husband to major football events. She is a supportive wife, a woman who shared both good and bad times with Fernando.

Who are Fernando Santos Children?

The marriage between the Portuguese coach and his wife, Guilhermina has yielded fruits. At the time of writing Fernando Santos’ Bio, he has two children (a son and daughter) with his wife. Luis Santos is the son of the Portuguese coach. Research has it that Fernando Santos’ son is an economist by profession.

Luis Santos has lived in several parts of the world, and his Dad Fernando (early on) kept his part-time hotel job to financially support his son and family. Cátia Santos is the name of Guilhermina and Fernando Santos’ daughter (their first child).

She is a lawyer who rose through a Portuguese judiciary system to become a judge. A recent report has it that the coach has another son, Pedro Santos.

Luis and Sonia – Fernando Santos’ Son and Daughter-in-law:

The son of the Portuguese coach is like his late grandfather, a businessman. The son of the national coach recently bought EuroNews.

Luis Santos is married to his wife, Sonia Santos. The two (Luis and Sónia) tied the knot at Comporta in September 2017.

A media report has it that it was the businessman’s second marriage. The first marriage of Fernando Santos’ son took place at Madeira on “Valentine’s Day.” in February 2013.

It is known that Luis Santos’ first marriage lasted for just a year. Fernando Santos’ son was once involved in a series of marital issues with his wife. It resulted in the issuance of divorce papers which he is yet to sign (at the time of writing).

Back then, there were rumours they (Luis and Sonia) were planning an amicable divorce, and it hasn’t gone out yet because it’s taking its normal time.

Isabel Figueira and Fernando Santos’ son:

Following the marital issues with Sonia, Luis began dating Isabel Figueira, who is wildly known as an actress. Fernando Santos’ son likes taking his girlfriend to his father’s games.

And a report has it that the Portuguese national team coach has long approved his son’s romance with Isabel. At the time Isabel (pictured below) came into Luís Santos’ life, he still remained married only on paper.

To the public, it is clear that Luis Santos is in a relationship with Isabel Figueira. This comes even as he is still married to his partner, Sónia.

The decision by Fernando Santos’ son caused some discomfort to some of his fans. Especially when he left his family when his newborn son at the time was not yet one month old.

Luis fell madly in love with Isabel and was quick to move on with her. Meet the two new lovebirds – Isabel and Luis Santos – as they profess their love. Luis has a strong facial resemblance to his father.

A source close to the national coach’s family reveals that Luís Santos is also the father of another boy. And Isabel Figueira is very well received by Fernando Santos’ family, who appear to be ok with their son’s decision for happiness.

Luis Santos relationship has always not lasted that long, but he was so sure of what he wanted in Isabel Figueira. This is the reason why he introduced the actress to his family right away.

For soccer fans who like football and the sight of beautiful women, Isabel Figueira is one reason not to miss a Portuguese match.

The new couple (Luis and Isabel) were present at the Estádio do Dragão, on the day Portugal qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Isabel Figueira believes that by having Luis Santos in her life, she can have a happy ending.

Who is Isabel Figueira?

She is an actress born on the 21st day of October 1980 in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Isabel Figueira’s parents are Maria Alice Figueira and Francisco Figueira. Lastly, she is the mother of Rodrigo Peixoto, Pilar Peixoto and Francisco Maria Sotto-Mayor.

As stated earlier, she is presently in a relationship with Fernando Santos’ Son (Luis). Isabel was formerly married to César Peixoto (2005–2007). Here is Luis Santos together with his lover, one of Isabel Figueira’s children and family friend.

Fernando Santos Grandchildren:

First, let’s tell you how they (who are not related to him by blood) came about. Isabel was once married to César Peixoto.

This man is a Portuguese former professional footballer who later became a manager of F.C. Paços de Ferreira. César Peixoto and Isabel Figueira got married in 2005 and separated in 2007. Their marriage gave rise to their children; Rodrigo Peixoto and Pilar Peixoto.

Isabel Figueira is also the mother of Francisco Sotto Mayor. This is a child from another father, a businessman named João Sotto Mayor.

Isabel Figueira has already made their kids acquainted with their new grandfather, (Fernando Santos), who has taken them on a trip to Disneyland Paris.

At the time of the Disney trip, Luís Santos’ children were absent, most likely because of their tender age. The oldest of Luis Santos’ sons at that time was two years old, and the youngest was only four months old.

Fernando Santos Lifestyle:

Starting off, He is a man who loves to bring out some childhood imagination in him. Fernando Santos once travelled to Paris to enjoy some personal moments with his family.

The 63-year-old Portuguese national coach took vacation alongside his wife, Guilhermina. Then Pedro (his son), his son-in-law, and their two grandchildren.

Did you know?… This trip to France with his family members took place less than three months before the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

For the great coach, it was a way of letting go of the pressure that comes with preparing for the big tournament. Fernando Santos surprised his fans by making the best out of Disney universe’s 25th-anniversary celebration.

It is rare to find special grandparents like Fernando and Guilhermina. As noticed above, the former Greece coach did not hide his happiness at Disneyland Paris.

Fernando is a man who assumes that every moment with his family was magical. He gave his grandchildren some memory they won’t forget when they turn adults and when he is no more. 

Fernando Santos House:

Research has it that Portugal’s national team coach lives in the Guincho area of Cascais. This is a coastal resort town situated in the west of Lisbon.

Cascais is known for its sandy beaches and busy marina. Isabel Figueira loves to spend most of her time at Luis Santos’ house, which is where his Dad (Fernando) lives.

Personal Life:

Who is Fernando Santos?

One day, the Portuguese Football Federation released a 2016 video of happy holidays. On its holiday social network message, Fernando Santos was seen as the protagonist.

The national coach dressed up as Santa Claus and distributed lots of gifts. Fernando Santos revealed his identity at the end.

Accepting to perform this role tells a lot about his down-to-earth and fatherly nature. There is hardly anyone who can say the Portuguese coach is a bad person.

Fernando Santos Family Life:

During most football events, his personal wish remains to go home and give a kiss the size of the world to his loved ones. The closest to his heart ate his wife, children, grandson, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mum and Dad (who is late). This section of our Bio tells you more about the coach’s parents.

Fernando Santos Father:

The death of the businessman who introduced him to football led the coach to believe that God truly sends signals. Fernando Santos Dad died more than 20 years ago, from the time of writing his Bio.

Speaking of God sending signals, Fernando Santos is the type who believes in the resurrection and the fact that life goes on after death. Portugal’s national team coach is not afraid of death. Fernando believes that his Dad is on another planet and that anyone with faith should not be afraid of death.

Santos’ best memory of his Dad came when he was in fourth grade. It came when his Dad gifted him a set of Parker pens with his name engraved beautifully on them. He knew the sign of his Dad’s death when he received this same gift from another person (a black ballpoint Parker pen) with his name written on it.

At that time, Fernando Santos’ Dad was sick and had just died (a day earlier). The Football Coach believed that the second pen gift was a sign sent to him by his Dad after he had just died. Research has it that Fernando Santos died at the age of 97. That was the year he went to FC Porto and became champion.

The Portuguese coach offered his Porto victory to God and his late father. On the day after his father’s death, he was with his wife (Guilhermina) on their way to Igreja das Antas.

Fernando was thinking about his Dad and drinking a few beers, and immediately came the sign from his late father. When he arrived at the door of the Antas church, there was a little boy there, Rui Pedro. This was the boy his late God used to give him that sign that he his Dad was late.

Fernando Santos Mother:

Once upon a time, Maria de Lurdes was robbed on a trip to Spain and that made her so shaken. Following that, Fernando Santos Mum decided to take a break to Madeira to rest. While there, she enjoyed a great time with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Maria de Lurdes, the native of Sorgassosa (Arganil) is a homemaker and a supportive wife. She, together with her late husband, are both staunch Bendifica fans. Maria de Lurdes was there when her husband took their son to Estádio da Luz to watch Eusébio.

She (who gave her son lots of emotional support) understood her son’s desire follow his dreams. Fernando Santos, to date, views his Mum as her best friend and always dedicates his achievement to her. According to the coach, his Mum gave him the gift of wisdom, perseverance and humility.

Fernando Santos Relatives:

So far as research can tell, the extended family members of Portugal’s national team coach include his son and daughter-in-law. Rodrigo, Pilar Peixoto and Francisco Sotto Mayor are a few of Fernando Santos’ known grandchildren.

Isabel Figueira, as earlier said, is the new partner of Luis Santos, Fernando’s son. Maria Alice Figueira and Francisco Figueira are the parents of Isabel Figueira.

Untold Facts:

In the concluding stage of Fernando Santos’ Biography, we’ll tell you other information about him. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Fernando Santos Smoking Fact:

Just like Arsene Wenger and Maurizio Sarri, the Portuguese coach is a long-time smoker. He did pull out a cigarette following his country’s win against Turkey to qualify Portugal for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Fernando Santos took a pack of tobacco and put a cigarette in his mouth while he was still on the pitch at Estádio do Dragão.

Fernando Santos Religion:

The obvious thing about the Portuguese coach is the fact that he is a man of great Christian faith. Fernando accepted the call of God at the time he got fired from Estoril as manager.

Just after he got fired, his friends invited him to take a three-day course in Christianity. He thought that a retreat should do him lots of good, so he accepted the invitation.

That three-day course in Christianity teachings became the most memorable moment in his adult life.

It was there he met Christ and confirmed that God truly send signs following the death of his father. Fernando Santos parents raised him as a Christian, and he got baptised during his youth before he stopped going to church.

Fernando Santos Salary:

According to Statistica, the Portuguese coach earns 2.25 million euros annually. Only Gareth Southgate (£5m plus bonuses), Tite (€3.5), and Didier Deschamps (€3.5) are ahead of Fernando Santos in terms of earnings. Here is a breakdown of Fernando Santos’ Salary.

TENURE/EARNINGS	Fernando Santos Salary Breakdown in Euros (€)
Per Year:	€2,250,000
Per Month:	€187,500
Every Week:	€43,202
Per Day:	€6,171
Per Hour:	€257
Per Minute:	€4.2
Every Second:	€0.07

Where Fernando Santos comes from, the average person in Portugal earns €33,000 a year. Such a person would need 68 years to make the coach’s annual salary as a national team coach.

Wiki summary:

Summary Endnote:

Fernando Santos was born in Lisbon, Portugal, to his Parents – Francisco Santos (his Dad), Maria de Lurdes Fernandes Santos (his Mum).

His relatives include his daughters-in-law (Isabel Figueira, Sónia Santos), grandchildren (Pilar, Francisco and Rodrigo), etc. Luis, an economist and businessman, is Fernando Santos Son. The Legendary Portuguese coach was introduced to football by his late Dad, who lived as a businessman.

Fernando Santos, during his youth, tried to convince his Dad, a sick Benfica fan, that he was going to play for the club his family supported. Surprisingly, Francisco rejected it as he wanted his son to focus on his studies.

After some time, Fernando Santos accepted his son’s request to play for Benfica youth. That acceptance came with the condition that he was successful in his education.

The Portuguese coach is a product of Escola Afonso Domingos, a technical school. Heeding to his father’s words, he (at age 15) became a qualified electrician.

Also, on his Dad’s advice, Fernando took a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering). In his early 20s, he successfully graduated from the Higher Institute of Engineering of Lisbon.

Leaving Operário soccer club to Benfica helped as the club paid him one conto de reis a month (a formerly used monetary unit for Portugal). Benfica also helped his middle-class family by agreeing to settle most fees for Fernando Santos’ education.

Fernando (as a professional) featured for Estoril, Marítimo and Estoril before retiring at the age of 33. After successes in club soccer coaching, he became the first manager to win both the Euros and the UEFA Nationa League for the country’s national team. 

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