Portugal
About Tiago
Tiago Nunes joined the Dragoons coaching staff in 2025 as Assistant Coach, working closely with Head Coach Gonçalo Ferreira and fellow assistant Scott Halcrow. Like Gonçalo and Hugo Cruz before him, Tiago hails from Portugal, but from a much smaller corner of the world, Flores Island in the Azores.
Growing up in the 1990s, football was at the heart of Tiago’s childhood, though the island’s small population meant that organised football competitions weren’t always possible. Instead, futsal became the game of choice, and Tiago played from the age of 12 until 20.
After moving to mainland Portugal, he developed a passion for athletic performance, strength training, and conditioning. He worked alongside some of Portugal’s leading personal trainers and earned certification in Nutrition for Sports Performance from the CEFAD Institute in Leiria.
Tiago relocated to Poland in 2023, he was determined to test himself in the Polish football system and he focused on optimising his conditioning and earned a place at a Klasa B side in January 2025, where he played as a defensive midfielder. Sadly, his playing days were cut short after suffering a severe knee injury in June 2025. It was at this time that Tiago discovered the Dragoons project and Tiago decided to turn his focus onto coaching.
Despite not crossing paths previously, a conversation with Gonçalo about UEFA licenses led to an invitation to a Dragoons training session, where both quickly realised they shared a similar footballing philosophy. The collaboration clicked, and Tiago stepped into his role as Assistant Coach, quickly becoming a popular member of the coaching staff, specialising in physical conditioning and player development.
