Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Gabriel

Luís Manuel Ferreira de Castro is a Portuguese football coach whose family provides an important balance to a career dominated by his passion for the game. Born on May 7, 1980, in Moreira de Cónegos, Portugal, Castro built his reputation through youth development before moving into senior management and eventually taking charge of Levante UD in La Liga.
Unlike many public figures in football, Castro keeps his immediate family largely away from media attention. However, he has confirmed that he is married and has two children, a son and a daughter. He has also spoken emotionally about his late father, whom he described as the most important person in his life.
Who Is Luís Castro’s Wife?
Luís Castro is married, although his wife’s name has not been reliably disclosed by established sports publications.
The Portuguese coach has occasionally mentioned his wife when discussing the demanding lifestyle associated with professional football. During his time at Vitória de Guimarães, Castro recalled that his wife would point out the difference between their daily routines because of the enormous amount of time he dedicated to football.
Castro jokingly explained that he viewed his schedule as consisting of eight hours of work followed by another four hours devoted to his hobby — which was also football.
His comments illustrate how completely the sport occupies his professional and personal thoughts, while also showing that his wife has been alongside him through important stages of his coaching journey.
Does Luís Castro Have Children?
Yes. Luís Castro has two children: one son and one daughter.
Castro confirmed this directly during a January 2025 interview while managing USL Dunkerque in France.
Discussing whether he is capable of switching off from football, Castro explained that spending time with his wife, son and daughter is one of the few circumstances in which he can stop thinking constantly about tactics, training and matches.
The names and ages of his children have not been reliably published, and Castro appears to deliberately protect their privacy.
Who Is Luís Castro’s Son?
Luís Castro has publicly confirmed having a son, but his name, age and personal background have not been disclosed in dependable media coverage.
Castro referred to his son while explaining the importance of family time away from football. Despite admitting that he thinks about the sport during almost every part of his day, being with his son and the rest of his immediate family allows him to disconnect.
There is no reliable evidence suggesting that his son is pursuing professional football, and it would be inappropriate to speculate about his interests or career.
Who Is Luís Castro’s Daughter?
Luís Castro also has a daughter. Like her brother, she has been kept almost completely outside the public spotlight.
The coach confirmed her existence alongside his son and wife when discussing his family life during his period in French football.
No trustworthy source currently provides her name, age, education or profession. Castro’s public comments suggest that he wants his children to remain private rather than become known simply because their father works in professional football.
How Important Is Family to Luís Castro?
Family occupies an important place in Luís Castro’s life despite the extraordinary amount of time he dedicates to football.
The coach has admitted that he finds it difficult to mentally leave work behind. He thinks about football while walking, at home and even before sleeping.
However, he has said that being with his wife, son and daughter allows him to think about something other than football.
That makes his family an important source of balance in a profession that has taken him through Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Greece, France and Spain.
Does Luís Castro Travel With His Family?
Castro has continued spending time with his family despite the demands of coaching abroad.
During the summer of 2026, while discussing preparations for another season with Levante, Castro revealed that he had spent several weeks of vacation with his family.
Even during those holidays, however, he remained connected to his work through video calls and other discussions related to football.
After helping Levante achieve its objectives during the 2025-26 campaign, Castro also spoke about returning to Portugal to spend time with family and longtime friends.
Who Are Luís Castro’s Parents?
Public information about Luís Castro’s parents is limited. The coach has provided considerably more information about his father than his mother.
Castro grew up in Moreira de Cónegos, a small Portuguese community in the municipality of Guimarães. His upbringing was relatively modest, and education was regarded as especially important within his household.
His father worried that Luís’s obsession with football might make it difficult for him to build a stable future and regularly encouraged his son to prioritize his studies.
Who Was Luís Castro’s Father?
Luís Castro’s father has died. His name and profession have not been reliably disclosed, but Castro has spoken very emotionally about the influence he had on his life.
In an official interview published by USL Dunkerque in 2024, Castro described his father as the most important person in his life.
His father recognized from an early age that Luís was completely obsessed with football. Castro remembered him saying that his son needed to stop living exclusively for the game because he appeared to think, eat and sleep football.
Rather than discouraging him simply because he disliked the sport, his father’s concern was practical: he wanted Luís to concentrate on his education so that he would be capable of earning a living.
What Did Luís Castro’s Father Think About His Football Ambition?
Castro’s father could see that football dominated his son’s childhood and early adulthood, but there was no guarantee that it would ever become a profession.
He therefore pushed Luís toward education and a more conventional career path.
Castro initially intended to become a physical education teacher and studied subjects related to sport at university. Football and training methodology eventually became the areas that interested him most.
Years later, he turned the passion his father had once worried about into a professional coaching career.
Luís Castro Wishes His Father Could Have Seen His Success
Castro has expressed sadness that his father did not live to see everything he eventually accomplished in professional football.
While discussing his journey at Dunkerque, the Portuguese coach said he wished his father could see what he had achieved.
That success includes developing elite young players, winning major youth competitions with Benfica and managing senior clubs in several European countries.
His words indicate that his professional achievements remain emotionally connected to the father who encouraged him to prepare for life beyond football.
Who Is Luís Castro’s Mother?
The identity of Luís Castro’s mother has not been reliably disclosed in the strongest available interviews and football profiles.
There is currently insufficient verified information about her name, occupation or background.
Because there are two well-known Portuguese coaches named Luís Castro, family information found online can easily become confused. The Luís Castro who currently coaches Levante was born in 1980, while the better-known former Botafogo, Shakhtar Donetsk and Al-Nassr coach was born in 1961.
Information about the older Luís Castro’s mother, wife, daughters or siblings should therefore not be attributed to Luís Manuel Ferreira de Castro.
Does Luís Castro Have Brothers or Sisters?
As of now, there is no reliable public information confirming whether Luís Castro has brothers or sisters.
His detailed interviews discuss his father, wife and two children but do not provide a complete account of possible siblings.
Castro has said that several members of his wider family have participated in sports, although none reached professional level. This does not establish whether those relatives include brothers or sisters.
It would therefore be inaccurate to describe Castro as an only child or assign him specific siblings without stronger evidence.
Was Anyone Else in Luís Castro’s Family a Professional Athlete?
No publicly documented relative of Luís Castro is known to have had a professional sporting career.
When asked by USL Dunkerque whether people close to him had played football, Castro explained that many members of his family practiced sports but not professionally.
He described himself as the person in the family who ultimately succeeded in making professional sport his career.
As a child, Castro himself experimented with numerous sports, including swimming, handball, futsal and karate, before coaching became the central focus of his professional life.
Luís Castro’s Childhood in Moreira de Cónegos
Luís Castro was born and raised in Moreira de Cónegos, in northern Portugal.
He frequently describes himself as someone who came from a small town and worked his way upward without the advantages associated with being a famous former professional player.
Castro’s passion for coaching emerged while he was studying. He originally intended to become a physical education teacher but became increasingly fascinated by football and the planning of training sessions.
He subsequently began coaching children as young as five or six, gradually progressing through Portuguese youth football.
How Luís Castro’s Family Experienced His Coaching Career
A career in coaching eventually required Castro and his family to adapt to repeated moves.
His work took him from Portugal to Saudi Arabia early in his professional journey. He subsequently worked in Hungary and Greece before returning to Portugal and becoming an important figure in Benfica’s youth system.
Castro then moved to France with Dunkerque, later joined Nantes and subsequently accepted the challenge of managing Levante in Spain.
Although detailed information about whether his wife and children accompanied him during every assignment is not publicly available, Castro’s interviews confirm that they have remained an important part of his personal life throughout his career.
Luís Castro’s Wife and His Obsession With Football
One of Castro’s most revealing stories about his marriage involves his inability to treat football as an ordinary job.
During his years at Vitória de Guimarães, his wife commented on how different their daily routines could be.
Castro responded humorously that he worked for eight hours and then spent another four hours on his hobby. The problem, of course, was that his hobby was also football.
Years later, he admitted that little had changed. He continues thinking about football almost constantly and considers family time his main opportunity to disconnect.
Luís Castro’s Family Life While Working Abroad
Managing in several countries has required Castro to balance an international career with his responsibilities as a husband and father.
His work has taken him into environments with different languages, cultures and football traditions, including Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Greece, France and Spain.
Family therefore provides continuity while his professional surroundings frequently change.
Even during periods designated as holidays, Castro admits that completely switching off is difficult. Nevertheless, he makes time to travel and spend periods with his wife and children whenever the football calendar allows.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luís Castro’s Family
Which Luís Castro is this article about?
This article is about Luís Manuel Ferreira de Castro, born on May 7, 1980, in Moreira de Cónegos, Portugal, who became head coach of Levante UD. He should not be confused with Luís Manuel Ribeiro de Castro, the Portuguese coach born in 1961.
Who is Luís Castro’s wife?
Luís Castro is married, but his wife’s name has not been reliably disclosed by established public sources. He has mentioned her in interviews when discussing his work-life balance.
Does Luís Castro have children?
Yes. Luís Castro has two publicly confirmed children: one son and one daughter.
What are Luís Castro’s children’s names?
The names of his son and daughter have not been reliably made public. Castro generally protects their identities.
Who was Luís Castro’s father?
His father’s name has not been publicly established by strong sources. Castro has confirmed that his father died and described him as the most important person in his life.
Who is Luís Castro’s mother?
Reliable public sources do not currently provide confirmed information about Luís Castro’s mother, including her name or profession.
Does Luís Castro have siblings?
There is no reliable public information establishing whether Luís Castro has brothers or sisters.
Was Luís Castro’s family involved in football?
Castro has said that several relatives practiced sports, but none pursued sport professionally. He considers himself the member of the family who succeeded in building a professional sporting career.
Where is Luís Castro’s family from?
Castro himself is from Moreira de Cónegos in the municipality of Guimarães, northern Portugal. Detailed information about the wider geographical origins of his family has not been publicly documented.
How does Luís Castro disconnect from football?
Castro has said that spending time with his wife, son and daughter is one of the few situations in which he can genuinely stop thinking about football.

Gabriel Lucio is a football analyst covering La Liga, focusing on match analysis, tactical trends, and the race for domestic and European positions.
