Buriram United have appointed Mario Silva as head coach, turning to the former Porto youth-team architect to lead the Thai League champions into the 2026-27 season, as his predecessor Mark Jackson resurfaces at Singapore’s Lion City Sailors.
The Thunder Castle confirmed the appointment on Wednesday after Buriram won their Thai League 1 season opener 3-1 at Sukhothai under interim coach Emerson Pereira on Sunday.
Silva, 49, arrives with a playing pedigree that includes a place in Jose Mourinho’s Porto squad that won the Champions League in 2003-04.
He moved into coaching after retirement, taking youth and assistant roles at Boavista and Padroense before returning to Porto, where his most notable success came in 2018-19: guiding the club’s youth side to the Uefa Youth League title with a group that produced Vitinha, Diogo Costa and Fabio Vieira.
He stepped up to senior management in 2020, taking charge of Almeria, Rio Ave and Santa Clara in Portugal, before making his first move to Asian football in 2024 with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Najma, whom he steered to a second-place finish and promotion to the Saudi Pro League.
Jackson, meanwhile, has been confirmed as the Sailors’ new head coach on a deal running until June 2027.
The Englishman departed Buriram after 11 months in charge, during which he led the club to a domestic treble alongside sporting director Cameron Toshack.
“A chapter of my career has now closed,” Jackson wrote on social media. “Winning the treble last season alongside Cameron Toshack was a fantastic achievement by the group. We shared some incredible moments, memorable games and experiences that I will always look back on with great pride.”
Lion City Sailors said Jackson’s record — which also includes a historic treble with Australia’s Central Coast Mariners — made him the right fit for a club targeting progress in the AFC Champions League Two and the Asean Club Championship.
“The ambition and vision of the club were major factors in my decision to join,” Jackson said. “There is a huge amount to look forward to, with an exciting season ahead.”