Gustavo Poyet
Encyclopedia
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez (ˈpoʝei; born 15 November 1967) is a former Uruguay
international footballer and current manager
of English
side Brighton & Hove Albion
.
During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza
, Chelsea
and Tottenham Hotspur
.
After his playing career ended he moved into coaching, with spells as assistant manager to Dennis Wise
at Swindon Town
and Leeds United
. Poyet was also assistant manager to Juande Ramos at Tottenham.
, Uruguay
, a powerful goalscoring midfielder, Poyet moved to Zaragoza in 1990. His team won the Copa del Rey
in 1994 and the Cup Winners' Cup a year later, beating Arsenal
in the final. He became Zaragoza's longest-serving foreign player. He scored an impressive 60 goals in 240 games for the club. Poyet joined Chelsea on a free transfer in June 1997.
Not long into his first season at Chelsea, he suffered cruciate ligament
damage but recovered to play in the team's successful Cup Winners' Cup final against VfB Stuttgart
. The following year he contributed 14 goals - making him the club's 2nd highest scorer - to help Chelsea finish 3rd in the Premiership
, including a crucial headed goal in 1-0 win against Leeds United
. He also scored the winner for Chelsea in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup
against Real Madrid. In 1999-00, he scored 18 goals (which again made him Chelsea's second highest scorer), with a scissors-kick volley against Sunderland, a long range strike against SS Lazio and both of Chelsea's goals in the FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United
among the most memorable, as the team won the FA Cup
and reached the UEFA Champions League
quarter-finals.
With the arrival of new manager Claudio Ranieri
in September 2000, Chelsea was a team in transition. With Ranieri seeking to reduce the average age of the squad, Poyet became surplus to requirements and requested a transfer. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in May 2001 for around £2.2m. In 145 appearances for Chelsea, Poyet scored 49 goals.
Poyet scored 14 goals in his debut season for Spurs and helped his team reach the League Cup final, but they lost 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers
. His time at the club was blighted by injuries and he again sustained cruciate ligament damage in August 2002 but still managed 23 goals in 98 games.
international and helped his country win the Copa América
in 1995 (and in doing so was voted as the best player in his position at the tournament ). He won 23 caps, scoring three goals. He made his international debut on 13 July 1993 in a friendly match
against Peru
(1–2). After 67 minutes he was substituted by Carlos Aguilera
.
alongside ex-Chelsea team mate, Dennis Wise
. Both Poyet and Wise were given permission to talk about forming the new Leeds United
management team on 23 October 2006 and looked set to take the place of caretaker manager, John Carver
, until Swindon Town withdrew permission due to disagreements over compensation. On 24 October 2006, Poyet was confirmed as assistant manager of Leeds with Dennis Wise as the manager. He fast became regarded as a cult hero with his wit and charm with the fans behind the team's bench. Poyet was reportedly considering coming out of retirement and playing professionally again for Leeds, following his appearance in two of the club's friendly matches whilst on a mid-winter training camp in Cyprus (January 2007). During one of these games he scored a volley described by United's manager Dennis Wise as "stunning".
On 29 October 2007, Poyet rejoined his former club Tottenham Hotspur to work alongside new head coach Juande Ramos as a first team coach with Marcos Álvarez as a fitness coach. During his first season as assistant manager at White Hart Lane
, he won the 2007–08 League Cup
, beating Chelsea
2–1 after extra time in the Final
after a penalty from Dimitar Berbatov
in normal time and a header early into extra time from Jonathan Woodgate
.
On 25 October 2008, Poyet parted company with Tottenham Hotspur along with manager Juande Ramos, first team coach Marcos Álvarez and sporting director Damien Comolli
.
League One
side Brighton & Hove Albion
on a one-and-a-half-year contract. Former Tottenham teammate Mauricio Taricco
was also announced as Poyet's assistant manager. He steered the club to safety as he had a brilliant start to his career at Brighton by going to Southampton
and winning 3–1. He started the 2010–11 season by making a number of signings, most notable was goalkeeper, Casper Ankergren
who played for Leeds when Poyet was assistant. He also signed a new four-year contract along with his assistant Mauricio Taricco
.
The season started brilliantly with five wins from the first eight games putting them at the top of the League One table. He ended the year of 2010 with his club still top of the table. Brighton started the year 2011 with a 5–0 home win on New Year's Day. They finished January 1 top of the league and leading it by seven points and looking dominant to carry on and push on for promotion
to the Championship
. Poyet has stated that he would be more than happy to lead his team out in the new stadium to a Championship match in the 2011–12 season. Most notable was a run of eight straight league victories in March, leaving the club 13 points clear at the top with games in hand over all of their closest rivals with the exception of Southampton. Brighton won promotion following a 4-3 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge
, Ashley Barnes
scoring the winner in the 63rd minute. The League One
title was theirs on 16 April 2011, as Brighton beat Walsall
3–1, having been top without slipping since the eighth game of the season and with four games of the season still to play. On 23 May 2011, Poyet was voted LMA League One Manager of the Year for his achievements in the 2010–11 season - his first full season as a football manager.
On 30 September 2011, Poyet signed a new five-year contract to remain at the club until 2016.
and the England national under-16 football team
.
Chelsea
Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
international footballer and current manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
of English
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
side Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
.
During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
After his playing career ended he moved into coaching, with spells as assistant manager to Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. Poyet was also assistant manager to Juande Ramos at Tottenham.
Playing career
Born in MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, a powerful goalscoring midfielder, Poyet moved to Zaragoza in 1990. His team won the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
in 1994 and the Cup Winners' Cup a year later, beating Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the final. He became Zaragoza's longest-serving foreign player. He scored an impressive 60 goals in 240 games for the club. Poyet joined Chelsea on a free transfer in June 1997.
Not long into his first season at Chelsea, he suffered cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
damage but recovered to play in the team's successful Cup Winners' Cup final against VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
. The following year he contributed 14 goals - making him the club's 2nd highest scorer - to help Chelsea finish 3rd in the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, including a crucial headed goal in 1-0 win against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. He also scored the winner for Chelsea in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup
1998 UEFA Super Cup
The 1998 UEFA Super Cup was a match that was played on 28 August 1998 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, contested between Cup Winners' Cup holders Chelsea and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Chelsea won the match 1–0. Guus Hiddink manager of Real Madrid went on to manage Chelsea to win the...
against Real Madrid. In 1999-00, he scored 18 goals (which again made him Chelsea's second highest scorer), with a scissors-kick volley against Sunderland, a long range strike against SS Lazio and both of Chelsea's goals in the FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
among the most memorable, as the team won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and reached the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
quarter-finals.
With the arrival of new manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
in September 2000, Chelsea was a team in transition. With Ranieri seeking to reduce the average age of the squad, Poyet became surplus to requirements and requested a transfer. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in May 2001 for around £2.2m. In 145 appearances for Chelsea, Poyet scored 49 goals.
Poyet scored 14 goals in his debut season for Spurs and helped his team reach the League Cup final, but they lost 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. His time at the club was blighted by injuries and he again sustained cruciate ligament damage in August 2002 but still managed 23 goals in 98 games.
International career
He was also a UruguayUruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
international and helped his country win the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
in 1995 (and in doing so was voted as the best player in his position at the tournament ). He won 23 caps, scoring three goals. He made his international debut on 13 July 1993 in a friendly match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
against Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
(1–2). After 67 minutes he was substituted by Carlos Aguilera
Carlos Aguilera
Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova is a retired Uruguayan footballer. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982...
.
Coaching career
In July 2006, he became a player and assistant manager at Swindon TownSwindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
alongside ex-Chelsea team mate, Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
. Both Poyet and Wise were given permission to talk about forming the new Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
management team on 23 October 2006 and looked set to take the place of caretaker manager, John Carver
John Carver (footballer)
John William Carver is a former English footballer and current assistant manager of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
, until Swindon Town withdrew permission due to disagreements over compensation. On 24 October 2006, Poyet was confirmed as assistant manager of Leeds with Dennis Wise as the manager. He fast became regarded as a cult hero with his wit and charm with the fans behind the team's bench. Poyet was reportedly considering coming out of retirement and playing professionally again for Leeds, following his appearance in two of the club's friendly matches whilst on a mid-winter training camp in Cyprus (January 2007). During one of these games he scored a volley described by United's manager Dennis Wise as "stunning".
On 29 October 2007, Poyet rejoined his former club Tottenham Hotspur to work alongside new head coach Juande Ramos as a first team coach with Marcos Álvarez as a fitness coach. During his first season as assistant manager at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, he won the 2007–08 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, beating Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
2–1 after extra time in the Final
2008 Football League Cup Final
The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
after a penalty from Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of...
in normal time and a header early into extra time from Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
.
On 25 October 2008, Poyet parted company with Tottenham Hotspur along with manager Juande Ramos, first team coach Marcos Álvarez and sporting director Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli
Damien Comolli is the Director of Football for Liverpool. He has previously worked as a football coach and scout, with AS Monaco, AS Saint-Étienne, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.He was born in Béziers, France, and played as a youth team player at AS...
.
Brighton & Hove Albion
On 10 November 2009, Poyet was announced as the new manager of EnglishFootball in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
on a one-and-a-half-year contract. Former Tottenham teammate Mauricio Taricco
Mauricio Taricco
Mauricio Ricardo Taricco is an Argentinian professional footballer and football coach who is currently assistant manager to Gus Poyet at Football League Championship team Brighton & Hove Albion. Taricco notably played Premier League football for Tottenham Hotspur, having also appeared for...
was also announced as Poyet's assistant manager. He steered the club to safety as he had a brilliant start to his career at Brighton by going to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and winning 3–1. He started the 2010–11 season by making a number of signings, most notable was goalkeeper, Casper Ankergren
Casper Ankergren
Casper Ankergren is a Danish professional football goalkeeper currently playing for English team Brighton & Hove Albion...
who played for Leeds when Poyet was assistant. He also signed a new four-year contract along with his assistant Mauricio Taricco
Mauricio Taricco
Mauricio Ricardo Taricco is an Argentinian professional footballer and football coach who is currently assistant manager to Gus Poyet at Football League Championship team Brighton & Hove Albion. Taricco notably played Premier League football for Tottenham Hotspur, having also appeared for...
.
The season started brilliantly with five wins from the first eight games putting them at the top of the League One table. He ended the year of 2010 with his club still top of the table. Brighton started the year 2011 with a 5–0 home win on New Year's Day. They finished January 1 top of the league and leading it by seven points and looking dominant to carry on and push on for promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Poyet has stated that he would be more than happy to lead his team out in the new stadium to a Championship match in the 2011–12 season. Most notable was a run of eight straight league victories in March, leaving the club 13 points clear at the top with games in hand over all of their closest rivals with the exception of Southampton. Brighton won promotion following a 4-3 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
, Ashley Barnes
Ashley Barnes
Ashley Luke Barnes is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker, having previously played for Paulton Rovers, Plymouth Argyle, Oxford United, Salisbury City, Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United...
scoring the winner in the 63rd minute. The League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
title was theirs on 16 April 2011, as Brighton beat Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
3–1, having been top without slipping since the eighth game of the season and with four games of the season still to play. On 23 May 2011, Poyet was voted LMA League One Manager of the Year for his achievements in the 2010–11 season - his first full season as a football manager.
On 30 September 2011, Poyet signed a new five-year contract to remain at the club until 2016.
Personal life
His son, Diego, plays for the academy of Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and the England national under-16 football team
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
.
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nation | From | Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... | 10 November 2009 | Present | 112 | 56 | 28 | 28 | 49.55 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 112 | 56 | 28 | 28 | 49.55 | |||||||
Playing honours
Real Zaragoza- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1994 - (runner-up): 1993
- Spanish Super Cup:
- (runner-up): 1994
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1995
Chelsea
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2000 - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1998 - European Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
: 1998
Uruguay
- Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
: 1995
Managerial honours
Brighton & Hove Albion- Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: Champions 2010–11 - Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Manager of the Year 2010-2011