Portuguese coach João Prates targets seventh straight title with Taiwan's Tainan City

João Prates, a former youth‑team coach at Sporting CP, has been appointed head coach of Tainan City Taiwan Steel Group Football Club, becoming the first Portuguese manager to lead a top‑division side in Taiwan. The club, owned by the state‑owned Taiwan Steel Group since 2019, has won the Taiwanese league six times consecutively from 2020 to 2026. Prates’ contract runs for one season, and he aims to secure a seventh consecutive championship in the 2026/27 campaign while improving the team’s performance in the AFC Elite Club Championship, the premier Asian club competition.

Prates said the club’s sporting ambition, participation in AFC tournaments and the chance to work in a completely new market attracted him. He hopes his arrival will help develop local players, share coaching knowledge and raise the overall level of football in Taiwan.