Silvino Rullo, who followed Jose Mourinho as his goalkeeping coach for about 20 years, has passed away at the age of 67, prompting condolences from Manchester United, Real Madrid and others.
Former director Silvino Rulo dies at the age of 67
Silvino Rullo, a member of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff, has reportedly passed away at the age of 67 after a long battle with illness.
Louro was Mourinho’s trusted goalkeeping coach and followed the Special One for 20 years, including during his most successful years. He worked with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
That means he helped set the pace for the likes of Petr Cech, Iker Casillas and David de Gea. All three are considered among the best players in the world at some point in their careers. Louro’s death was announced Thursday night.
Cech and Inter Milan shot-stopper Julio Cesar were all named UEFA’s best goalkeeper under Rulo’s Vitor Baia at Porto. Bahia and Cesar both played for Champions League winners.
Rulo moved to Manchester under Mourinho in 2016 and won three titles, including the Europa League, in his debut year. He helped De Gea maintain his form and also helped the development of Sam Johnstone, who went on to make a name for himself in England.
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The Premier League giants said: “During almost three seasons at United, Rulo oversaw a close-knit goalkeeping group that included David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Sam Johnstone and Joel Pereira. The former Benfica stopper has 201 goals. “He was a notable member of the Reds team that won three trophies in the June 17 season, the FA Community Shield, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Our thoughts are with Silvino’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Tributes have been pouring in from Louro’s other clubs. Both Inter and Real released statements expressing their condolences to his family and praising his contribution, noting the trophies he won with his club.
Silvino Louro worked under Jose Mourinho at Man United, Real Madrid, Chelsea and more
Porto beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Thursday night to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals. After Diogo Costa kept a clean sheet, the Portuguese club released a short statement, saying that his shutout was dedicated to his former manager. They shared photos of him from his playing days and wrote on social media: “Diogo Costa’s exhibition honors Silvino’s memory.”
Benfica said in a statement: “Sport Lisboa and Benfica express their deep sadness at the passing of Mr. Silvino. The former goalkeeper for club and country will forever remain in the memory of Benfica fans as an impressive figure of the generation he honored with the badge on his chest.”
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