Afonso Martins

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Afonso Martins
Personal information
Full name Afonso Paulo Martins da Agra
Date of birth (1973-04-11) 11 April 1973 (age 52)
Place of birth Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990–1995 Nancy B 83 (21)
1992–1995 Nancy 55 (2)
1995–2002 Sporting CP 66 (5)
2001–2002 Sporting CP B 28 (12)
2002–2003 Moreirense 26 (7)
2003–2004 Vitória Guimarães 12 (0)
2004–2005 Moreirense 24 (2)
2006–2007 Lixa 16 (2)
Total310(51)
International career
1995–1996 Portugal U21 9 (2)
1996 Portugal U23 6 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Afonso Paulo Martins da Agra (born 11 April 1973), known as Martins, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Contents

Club career

Born in Póvoa de Varzim, Martins family emigrated to France when he was very young, and he first played professionally with AS Nancy Lorraine, spending four seasons at the club while making 60 competitive appearances. [1] In 1995–96 he returned to Portugal, signing for Sporting CP. [2]

Martins' tenure at the Primeira Liga side was an inconsistent one: he was a starter initially but, towards the end, was often demoted to the reserves and participated very little in the league victories of 2000 and 2002 (no games whatsoever in the latter, as he was left without a place in the squad and only trained separately). [3] [4] [2]

Martins finished his career in June 2007 at the age of 34, after spells with Moreirense FC, [4] Vitória de Guimarães [5] and lowly F.C. Lixa. He did not have a club in the 2005–06 campaign.

International career

Martins played for the Portugal national team at under-21 level, also appearing at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where he scored both goals in the 2–0 win over Tunisia in the first match, [6] as the country eventually finished fourth. [7]

Honours

Sporting CP

References

  1. "Le missile de Jeff Louis avec l'AS Nancy-Lorraine à Châteauroux, l'anniversaire d'Afonso Martins… C'est le café des sports" [Jeff Louis' rocket with AS Nancy-Lorraine at Châteauroux, Afonso Martins' birthday… It's the sports café]. L'Est Républicain (in French). 11 April 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Cunha, Pedro Jorge (24 May 2020). "Afonso de Xangô: campeão do Sporting em 2000 é Pai de Santo" [Afonso de Xangô: Sporting champion in 2000 is a Saint's Father] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  3. "Afonso Martins e Pedrosa já treinam em Alvalade" [Afonso Martins and Pedrosa already training at Alvalade]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 August 1999. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 Pedrosa, Paulo (15 March 2003). "Afonso Martins (Moreirense) diz que foi «castigado» no Sporting" [Afonso Martins (Moreirense) says he was "punished" at Sporting] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  5. "Afonso Martins no Guimarães por um ano" [Afonso Martins to Guimarães for one year]. Público (in Portuguese). 5 June 2003. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  6. "'Españoles' salvadores" [Saving 'Spaniards']. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 22 July 1996. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. "Portugal-Brasil: o pesadelo das Olimpíadas de 96 segundo Ronaldo e Bebeto" [Portugal-Brazil: the nightmare of the 96 Olympics according to Ronaldo and Bebeto] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 27 March 2003. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  8. "Sporting-Vilanovense, 3–1 (Jardel 44' PG, 83' e 90'; Nuno Rocha 33' GP)" [Sporting-Vilanovense, 3–1 (Jardel 44' PK, 83' and 90'; Nuno Rocha 33' PK)]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 November 2001. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  9. "Leixões-Sporting, 0–1 (Jardel 40')". Record (in Portuguese). 12 May 2002. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  10. "Os «Príncipes» de Octávio em 1994/95" [Octávio's "Princes" in 1994/95]. Record (in Portuguese). 31 January 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2025.