Cardoso has over two decades of experience as a coach, technical director, professional scout and player development scout where he has worked with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to join Melbourne Victory and I’m looking forward helping the club establish its football academy,” Cardoso told the A-League's official website.

“Through my experience in developing footballers overseas, I understand the importance of clubs having an elite pathway for player development.

“I’m looking forward to working with the key football staff, current youth team coaches, and more broadly, key club executives and external stakeholders to start to bring the project together.”

Cardoso has also had roles in youth development in South Africa, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia and is looking to put his experience to good use through both his role with the A-League team and their under-20 team in the Playstation 4 NPL Victoria competition.

“Paulo’s appointment as Academy Director is a crucial step for Melbourne Victory as we continue to develop plans for our football academy,” Victory CEO Ian Robson said.

“He has excellent leadership skills, a proven ability to recruit and develop players to a world-class standard, and a football network which extends to over 40 countries.

“These are all attributes that are important to the success of our academy, which we see as critical to the further growth and prosperity of Melbourne Victory.”