After beginning his career with Benfica's youth categories, Paiva moved to Ecuador in December 2020 to become the manager of Independiente del Valle, and won the Ecuadorian Serie A in his first year in charge.
Career
Benfica
Born in Pedrógão Pequeno, Sertã, Castelo Branco, Paiva joined Benfica's youth setup in 2004, to be a part of the club's Development department while also working as an assistant manager of the Juvenil B squad.[1] His first managerial experience occurred in 2006, after being named in charge of the under-14s.[1]
Paiva subsequently continued to progress inside Benfica's structure, taking over the under-16s, under-17s and under-19s throughout the years.[1] In January 2019, after Bruno Lage's appointment as manager of the first team, he was named manager of the reserves in the LigaPro.[2] His first professional match in charge of the club occurred on the 16th, a 4–0 win over Académico de Viseu.[3]
On 25 December 2020, Paiva left the Encarnados,[1] stating a desire to "challenge for titles".[4]
On 25 May 2022, it was announced that Paiva would leave Independiente del Valle to take over Liga MX side León.[7] On 28 November, he resigned.[8]
Bahia
On 6 December 2022, Paiva was announced as the new head coach of Bahia for the 2023 season.[9] He won the 2023 Campeonato Baiano with the club, but was sacked on 6 September 2023.[10]
Toluca
In December 2023, Paiva became the manager of Liga MX club Toluca,[11] signing a reported two-year contract.[12]