FONTE JOINS COACHING STAFF

Sunderland have confirmed the appointment of José Fonte to Régis Le Bris’ coaching staff ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The former Portugal international retired from playing at the end of last season, bringing an end to a 24-year career during which he made almost 900 senior appearances for club and country. Internationally, Fonte earned 50 caps for Portugal, winning UEFA Euro 2016 and also the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.

In England, the 42-year-old is best known for spending eight years in red and white as a Southampton player, making 288 appearances from League One to the Premier League. He also enjoyed a highly successful spell with Lille, captaining Les Dogues to the Ligue 1 title in 2020-21, while making 196 appearances for the French club.

Fonte is set to join Le Bris' technical coaching team, working alongside fellow technical assistants Alessandro Barcherini and Michael Proctor, Isidre Ramón Madir (Chief Analyst), James Brayne (Set-Piece Coach) and Neil Cutler (First Team Goalkeeping Coach). The former Saints defender will offocially commence employment with Sunderland AFC from 20 July 2026.

SAFC Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi, said: “José joins our coaching team with a wealth of experience as a player at the top level. He will bring that experience, along with tremendous energy, to a technical staff that is already performing outstandingly under the guidance of Régis. We believe those qualities, combined with his strong leadership skills, will add great value to our club as we look to push forward both in the Premier League and on the European stage. We’re delighted to welcome José to Sunderland AFC.”