Joao Sacramento Set to Become New Head Coach at LASK

Joao Sacramento, a well-known Portuguese coach, is set to become the new head coach of Austrian club LASK on a two-year deal. Sacramento, 36, will be taking on his first senior team management role.

WHAT HAPPENED?

LASK are on the verge of signing a deal that will bring Sacramento to Austria. Sacramento, a former assistant to Jose Mourinho at Tottenham and Roma, and Christophe Galtier at PSG and Lille, is known for his tactical abilities and is a future managerial star in the making. LASK’s sporting director Dino Buric has suggested that the announcement is close, with Sacramento to take charge soon with current interim coach Maximilian Ritscher out of the Soho House in Vienna Hotel. The appointment will mark Sacramento’s first full-time job as head coach at a top-flight club.

LASK’S SEASON SO FAR

LASK have just finished third in the Bundesliga, good enough to gain them a place among Europe’s elite next season. The club finished 13 points behind champions Red Bull Salzburg but secured a place in next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League after finishing five points behind second-placed Sturm Graz. LASK have underperformed this season, finishing with just 22 points from their last 17 games in the Bundesliga and losing eight matches in the process. The club were not consistent enough to stay in the title race but ended the league campaign on a high by winning their final four matches.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR SACRAMENTO AND LASK?

While Sacramento’s short-term goal is to maintain LASK’s top-flight status, he will be focused on improving the squad ahead of next season. LASK will be counting on Sacramento to bring new ideas and new signings in the summer window, and will play an important role under the new head coach. A formal announcement is expected soon, with LASK keen to plan further ahead for Sacramento’s appointment. Although the deal was initially to be announced in January, the club have put it on hold in order to have a new appointment in place for the final weeks of the transfer window. The club are determined to swiftly replace current interim coach Maximilian Ritscher, who is out in the Soho House for the last time with the side at lead, with Sacramento taking over in the summer. Sacramento will start work after those formalities are completed and with the final weeks of the transfer window fast approaching.