As a right-back, he played 234 Primeira Liga matches over 11 seasons (three goals), with Vitória de Guimarães, Braga and Sporting CP.

[7] Ferreira started working as a manager immediately after retiring, taking charge of Sporting's juniors as well as their reserves in the Segunda Liga.

[23] Ferreira led them to fourth place in his first full season in charge, with the subsequent qualification for the UEFA Europa League's third qualifying round.

[24] PAOK paid a reported €2 million to acquire Ferreira's services on 30 June 2019, after former manager Răzvan Lucescu left for Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

[25] In his first year, the team were knocked out by Ajax in the Champions League third qualifying round when the opposition scored through two controversial penalties in the second leg.

[29] On the domestic front, he led the side to second place in the Super League Greece, but was also in charge as the club's record of 51 matches unbeaten came to an end.

[40] The team defeated Athletico Paranaense 2–0 at Allianz Parque on 2 March 2022, winning the Recopa Sudamericana for the first time; this was the third international championship won by Ferreira with the side, also making him the club's most successful head coach in those type of competitions.

[41] In November they were crowned Brazilian champions[42] and, after the conquest of the Campeonato Paulista the following April, he became the foreign manager with the most trophies in the country.

He told the media his evenings were spent at home with his parents watching the Brazilian soap opera 'Tieta' on Portuguese television, which his mother considered too daring and sometimes closed the door on him, and explained that in order to achieve goals people have to "make sacrifices".