After some years out of football, Portugal coached former club Córdoba[1] also in the second level, returning to Real Madrid Castilla in 2005–06 following the December promotion to the first team of Juan Ramón López Caro. On 6 July 2006 he succeeded López Caro once again, now at Racing de Santander,[2] helping the Cantabrians to a final tenth place in the top flight.