 On 20 November of the following year he netted the first hat-trick of his professional career, scoring all three goals in a 3–1 home win against S.C. Braga in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.On 8 July 2014, Rui Pedro returned to Portugal, joining Académica de Coimbra on a two-year deal.He netted six times in his first year to help his team narrowly avoid relegation, but they did go down the following campaign.