Football

Alexandre Santos leaves his position at Nacional after four games

Coach Alexandre Santos failed to secure any wins and is set to return to Petro de Luanda.

20 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Alexandre Santos leaves his position at Nacional after four games — Archive photoPhoto: MDB Nacional · Flickr · BY

Alexandre Santos is stepping down as head coach of Nacional, according to information from Diário de Notícias da Madeira, later confirmed by zerozero.pt. The coach, hired in September to replace João Gião, has only managed four games with the island team, all of which were lost, with no victories achieved.

Nacional officially announced Santos's departure on its communication platforms. The transfer, which had been in preparation, confirms the coach's move to Petro de Luanda in Angola, where he will replace João Pedro Sousa, who previously managed the Angolan team.

Santos's tenure at Nacional was short-lived and fraught with difficulties, as the team failed to accumulate any points under his leadership. This situation led the club to consider contract termination as the best course of action.

The decision to change coaches is an attempt by Nacional to reverse the poor start to the season and return to a more positive path in the competition. Santos thus becomes the second coach to leave the club in the 2026/27 season, following Gião's earlier departure.

Alexandre Santos, 49, aimed to stabilize the team, but four consecutive defeats prompted his exit. The move to Angolan football could represent a new opportunity in his coaching career.

Nacional will now seek a new coach who can bring renewed momentum to the team and improve results, while Santos prepares to begin a new chapter at the helm of Petro de Luanda.

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