Anthony da Silva
A Portuguese fullback turned manager who carved out a long playing career across Europe before guiding clubs from the dugout.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Portuguese football manager and former player·Birthday: December 20·Generation X
Biography
Born in Bordeaux to Portuguese parents, Anthony 'Tony' da Silva's football journey was international from the start. His playing career as a tenacious right-back spanned over a decade, taking him from French academies to clubs in Portugal, Greece, and Turkey, where he became a familiar and reliable figure. After hanging up his boots, he transitioned seamlessly into management, drawing on his vast on-pitch experience. He has since led teams in Turkey and Cyprus, known for a pragmatic approach and a deep understanding of the defensive side of the game, shaping squads often away from the brightest spotlights.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Anthony was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Made over 150 appearances in the Turkish Süper Lig as a player for clubs like Konyaspor and Ankaragücü.
- Managed Cypriot First Division club Doxa Katokopias, steering them to a mid-table finish in the 2020-21 season.
- Began his senior playing career in France with FC Girondins de Bordeaux before moving to Portugal's top flight.
Did You Know?
He holds dual French and Portuguese citizenship.
His nickname, 'Tony', became more commonly used than his given first name, Anthony.
He played alongside Brazilian star Roberto Carlos for a brief period at Fenerbahçe in 2007.
“My tactics are built on the discipline I learned as a defender.”
