Paulo Jorge Rebelo Duarte (born 6 April 1969) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender, and a current coach.
During a 17-year senior career he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 238 games and eight goals over the course of 12 seasons, representing mainly União de Leiria. In 2006 he became a manager, also working with the club.
Playing career
Duarte was born in Massarelos, Porto District. After playing youth football for local Boavista F.C. and starting out as a senior at C.F. União de Coimbra, he signed for U.D. Leiria in 1988, also in the second division.
Duarte then played two seasons apiece for S.C. Salgueiros and C.S. Marítimo, making his top level debuts with the former and appearing in a total of 84 league games the two teams combined. Subsequently he returned to Leiria who now competed in the main category of Portuguese football, retiring after almost one decade at the age of 34 and acting as first-choice in four of those campaigns (in 2001–02, as the club qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, he was managed by young José Mourinho).
Coaching career
After his retirement Duarte immediately began his managerial career, staying with his last club Leiria as assistant. In the tenth round of 2006–07's top division he was named coach of the first team, eventually helping it finish seventh.
In late 2007 Duarte left Leiria[1] and, a couple of months later, was appointed manager of Burkina Faso. On 2 June of the following year, however, he was signed by France's Le Mans Union Club 72 on a two-year contract, while still working with the national side.[2]
On 8 December 2009 Duarte was fired by Le Mans, becoming the first Ligue 1 manager casualty in the season,[3] but still was on the bench for Burkina Faso's 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, exiting in the group stage after one draw and one loss (the team was in Togo's group). On 17 February 2012, following three games and as many losses at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, he was fired.[4]
On 29 April 2012, Duarte was appointed interim coach of the Gabonese national team. He was sacked on 23 September of the following year, after failing to qualify the country for both the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[5]
Player eligibility controversy
Duarte selected players to play for the Burkina Faso national team who he believed were eligible to play for the nation after they married Burkinabé women.[6] Namibia complained about the fielding of Herve Xavier Zengue in two 2012 CAN qualifying games, stating that the player was not eligible under FIFA's statutes.[7]
Duarte also chose to play Zengue after the complaint was received by CAF, fielding him alongside Ghanaian-born Nii Plange in a 0–3 loss with South Africa in an August 2011 friendly.[8]
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