Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Hugo Miguel Pereira de Almeida [1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 23 May 1984||
Place of birth | Figueira da Foz, Portugal [1] | ||
Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Sepahan (interim) | ||
Youth career | |||
1993–1996 | Buarcos | ||
1996–2000 | Naval | ||
2001–2002 | Porto | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2002–2005 | Porto B | 25 | (20) |
2003–2007 | Porto | 33 | (4) |
2003 | → União Leiria (loan) | 13 | (3) |
2004 | → União Leiria (loan) | 14 | (2) |
2005 | → Boavista (loan) | 14 | (3) |
2006–2007 | → Werder Bremen (loan) | 28 | (5) |
2007–2010 | Werder Bremen | 89 | (36) |
2011–2014 | Beşiktaş | 85 | (36) |
2014–2015 | Cesena | 10 | (0) |
2015 | Kuban Krasnodar | 10 | (2) |
2015–2016 | Anzhi | 12 | (2) |
2016 | Hannover 96 | 7 | (1) |
2016–2017 | AEK Athens | 22 | (5) |
2017–2018 | Hajduk Split | 14 | (3) |
2018–2020 | Académica | 33 | (11) |
Total | 409 | (133) | |
International career | |||
2001 | Portugal U16 | 4 | (1) |
2002 | Portugal U18 | 5 | (1) |
2002–2003 | Portugal U19 | 15 | (8) |
2003 | Portugal U20 | 5 | (0) |
2004–2007 | Portugal U21 | 27 | (16) |
2004 | Portugal U23 | 4 | (2) |
2004–2006 | Portugal B | 4 | (4) |
2004–2015 | Portugal | 57 | (19) |
Managerial career | |||
2020–2021 | Académica B (assistant) | ||
2021–2022 | Académica (assistant) | ||
2022–2024 | Sepahan (assistant) | ||
2024– | Sepahan (interim) | ||
Medal record | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Hugo Miguel Pereira de Almeida (born 23 May 1984) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward, currently interim manager of Persian Gulf Pro League club Sepahan.
After failing to establish himself at Porto, being loaned several times during his contract, he made a name for himself in Germany with Werder Bremen where he remained for four seasons, reaching the 2009 UEFA Cup final and scoring 63 competitive goals. He also spent several years in Turkey with Beşiktaş, netting 47 times in 109 total games.
Almeida, whose international career with Portugal spanned over a decade, succeeded in becoming a regular after the departures of Pauleta in 2006 and Liédson in 2010. He represented the nation at two World Cups and as many European Championships, earning 57 caps and scoring 19 goals. [2]
Born in Figueira da Foz, Coimbra District, Almeida started playing football for hometown club Naval 1º de Maio, before being signed by Porto still as a junior. He made his Primeira Liga debut in a 2–0 home win over Benfica on 21 September 2003, playing three minutes. [3] Unable to settle at first, however, he had loan spells with União de Leiria (with which he had already played in the previous season, also on loan) [4] and Boavista. [5]
Almeida returned to Porto for 2005–06, having a relatively important role in a side that was crowned national champions. During that campaign's UEFA Champions League he scored a spectacular goal from a 35-metre free kick against Inter Milan at the San Siro, albeit in a 2–1 loss. [6]
Almeida served another loan stint in 2006–07, with a solid first year at the Bundesliga's Werder Bremen, [7] where he rejoined former Porto teammate Diego. He totalled ten goals in 41 appearances (in all competitions), including one in a 2–1 home loss against Espanyol in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, his shot floating over the goalkeeper and into the net in an eventual 4–2 aggregate defeat; [8] after seeing his chances at Porto definitely cut down with the arrival of strikers Edgar and Ernesto Farías in August 2007, he decided to accept Bremen's offer for a permanent switch, penning a four-year deal worth €4 million. [9]
With the departure of Miroslav Klose, who signed for Bayern Munich, [10] Almeida's chances of first-team action improved dramatically, and he started the 2007–08 season in scoring fashion, netting seven times in his first 12 league games, including two goals in a 4–1 victory over defending champions VfB Stuttgart. [11] He would finish the season with 16 goals in all competitions – 11 in the league, as his club finished second behind Bayern – only surpassed in the team by Diego's 17.
In 2008–09, another solid season, Almeida scored nine goals in the league, adding four in just five matches for the eventual DFB-Pokal winners – his first Bremen honour. His cup tally included a hat-trick against amateurs Eintracht Nordhorn, in a 9–3 away rout. [12] In the Champions League he netted two more, being named the "Fans' Player of the match" in the 2–2 draw away to Anorthosis Famagusta. [13] As the team were "demoted" to the UEFA Cup, he contributed one goal in eight games as the team went all the way to the final but, after receiving a yellow card in the 3–2 defeat of Hamburger SV in the semi-finals (3–3 aggregate win), he missed the decisive match against Shakhtar Donetsk. [14]
Alternating starts with appearances from the bench, Almeida once again scored in double digits in the 2009–10 campaign, netting seven goals in the domestic league for a total of 11, as Bremen finished third and qualified to the Champions League play-off round, with the player assisting Claudio Pizarro in the third goal of the clash against Sampdoria (3–1 home win in the first leg, eventual 3–2 aggregate win). [15]
Almeida started 2010–11 netting six times in the first ten league games. On 28 November 2010 he took his total to nine, after scoring three in a home win against FC St. Pauli (3–0) – in the dying minutes of the fixture, he was sent off after elbowing an opponent. [16]
On Christmas Eve 2010, after scoring 11 goals in 21 official games for Bremen during the season, Almeida joined Beşiktaş in the Süper Lig, having agreed to a three-and-a-half-year contract for €2 million. [17] [18] On 11 May 2011, he converted his penalty in the shootout as the Istanbul team won the Turkish Cup against İstanbul Başakşehir (4–3, 2–2 after extra time). [19]
During his time in Istanbul, Almeida was part of a Portuguese contingent including manager Carlos Carvalhal and five teammates including fellow internationals Manuel Fernandes, Simão Sabrosa and Ricardo Quaresma. [20]
On 7 October 2014, free agent Almeida signed for Serie A newcomers Cesena. [21] However, he struggled at his new club, managing only seven starts and terminating his contract by mutual consent on 20 January 2015. [22] A week later, he joined Russia's Kuban Krasnodar. [23]
Almeida moved to Anzhi Makhachkala who had just returned to the Russian Premier League on 8 July 2015. [24] After just six months, both parties parted ways by mutual consent. [25]
On 16 January 2016, Almeida returned to Germany and signed for Hannover 96 until summer 2017, reuniting with former Werder Bremen boss Thomas Schaaf in the process. [26] He scored in his first appearance seven days later, but in a 2–1 home loss against Darmstadt 98. [27] In February, he received a retrospective three-match ban for an elbow on FC Augsburg's Dominik Kohr, [28] as the season ended with relegation.
Almeida joined AEK Athens from the Super League Greece on 18 July 2016, on a two-year contract. [29] He scored twice in the first 15 minutes of his debut, a 4–1 home win over Xanthi on 11 September. [30]
On 26 April 2017, in the return leg of the semi-finals of the Greek Football Cup against Olympiacos, Almeida played as an emergency goalkeeper for the first time in his career, after Giannis Anestis was sent off in the closing minutes of the game. His team eventually advanced to the final on away goals, after a 2–2 aggregate draw. [31]
Almeida's contract was terminated by mutual consent on 30 August 2017. [32] The following day he signed a one-year deal with Hajduk Split from the Croatian First Football League, with the option for a further season. [33]
Almeida returned to Portugal after an absence of 12 years in July 2018, at the age of 34. Citing family reasons, he agreed to a two-year contract at Académica de Coimbra. [34] He made his LigaPro debut on 18 August, playing 36 minutes in a 1–0 home defeat against Paços de Ferreira and eventually acting as a goalkeeper after Peterson Peçanha was sent off. [35]
On 6 February 2020, Almeida announced his retirement. [36]
Almeida played at every level in international competitions, from the under-16 to the main Portugal national team. He made his full debut in a friendly against England on 18 February 2004, a 1–1 draw, [37] and was also part of the squad that won the 2003 Toulon Tournament, also appearing at the 2004 and 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals. [38]
Almeida was called for Portugal's final three UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, starting against Azerbaijan and scoring his first international goal. [39] He also netted in the follow-up, a 1–0 win over Armenia, [40] and these goals eventually proved vital as the nation clinched a tournament spot.
In Carlos Queiroz's second stint as national side coach, Almeida scored in a 4–0 victory in Malta on 6 September 2008, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. [41] His importance diminished in late 2009, after the naturalisation of Sporting CP's Liédson.
Almeida was picked for the finals in South Africa. After the first match, a 0–0 against Ivory Coast, he replaced Liédson in the starting XI for the following match, with both players finding the net in the 7–0 rout of North Korea on 21 June 2010, in Cape Town. [42]
Almeida was selected by new manager Paulo Bento for his Euro 2012 squad, initially as third choice after Hélder Postiga and Nélson Oliveira. After the former injured himself in the first half of the quarter-finals against Czech Republic, he replaced him, [43] going on to start in the penalty shootout loss to Spain (0–0 after 120 minutes). [44]
After being included in the list for the 2014 World Cup, [45] Almeida started in the first group stage match against Germany, but was injured after just 28 minutes of play in an eventual 4–0 defeat. [46] He went on to miss the second game against the United States [47] with Postiga, who was also stretchered off after only 17 minutes, replacing him in the starting XI. [48]
On 31 March 2015, Almeida captained Portugal for the first time in his final appearance, a 2–0 friendly loss to Cape Verde in Estoril. [49]
Following his retirement from playing, Almeida instantly went into coaching Académica's under-23 team. [36] In 2021–22, he was assistant manager of the first team, serving four head coaches as the season ended with relegation to Liga 3; [50] he left by mutual consent at the end of the campaign and waived his right to compensation or backlogged wages, due to the club's financial situation. [51]
Almeida was briefly interim manager of Académica in March 2022, but did not oversee any match before the appointment of Zé Gomes. [52] [53] In June, he became assistant to compatriot José Morais at Sepahan S.C. in the Persian Gulf Pro League; [54] he later acted as caretaker for the latter after Morais left for personal reasons. [55]
Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | Ref. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Porto B | 2001–02 | Segunda Divisão | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | [56] | |||
2002–03 | 15 | 16 | — | — | — | 15 | 16 | [56] | |||||
2003–04 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | [56] | |||||
2004–05 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | [56] | |||||
Total | 25 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 20 | – | ||
Porto | 2002–03 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [56] |
2003–04 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | [56] | ||
2004–05 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | [56] | ||
2005–06 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 5 | [56] | ||
Total | 33 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 5 | – | ||
União Leiria (loan) | 2002–03 | Primeira Liga | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | [56] | |
União Leiria (loan) | 2003–04 | Primeira Liga | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | [56] | |
Boavista (loan) | 2004–05 | Primeira Liga | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | [56] | |
Werder Bremen (loan) | 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 9 | [57] |
Werder Bremen | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 23 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 16 | [57] |
2008–09 | 27 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 16 | [57] | ||
2009–10 | 26 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 11 | [57] | ||
2010–11 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 11 | [57] | ||
Total | 89 | 36 | 13 | 7 | 34 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 54 | – | ||
Beşiktaş | 2010–11 | Süper Lig | 12 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 8 | [58] | |
2011–12 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 [a] | 1 | 35 | 14 | [58] | ||
2012–13 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 10 | [58] | ||||
2013–14 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 33 | 15 | [58] | |||
Total | 85 | 36 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 109 | 47 | – | ||
Cesena | 2014–15 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | [58] | ||
Kuban | 2014–15 | Russian Premier League | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 13 | 3 | [58] | ||
Anzhi Makhachkala | 2015–16 | Russian Premier League | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 4 | [58] | ||
Hannover 96 | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | [57] | ||
AEK Athens | 2016–17 | Super League Greece | 21 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 4 | [58] | |
2017–18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | [58] | |||
Total | 22 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 5 | – | ||
Hajduk Split | 2017–18 | Prva HNL | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 | [58] | ||
Académica | 2018–19 | LigaPro | 23 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 23 | 10 | [56] | |
2019–20 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 [b] | 0 | 15 | 1 | [56] | |||
Total | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 11 | – | ||
Career total | 409 | 133 | 49 | 16 | 72 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 535 | 171 | – |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Portugal | 2004 | 1 | 0 |
2005 | 0 | 0 | |
2006 | 1 | 0 | |
2007 | 4 | 2 | |
2008 | 11 | 1 | |
2009 | 6 | 3 | |
2010 | 10 | 6 | |
2011 | 6 | 3 | |
2012 | 7 | 1 | |
2013 | 7 | 1 | |
2014 | 3 | 2 | |
2015 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 57 | 19 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 October 2007 | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | 2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
2 | 17 November 2007 | Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal | Armenia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
3 | 6 September 2008 | Ta'Qali Stadium, Ta'Qali, Malta | Malta | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
4 | 6 June 2009 | Qemal Stafa stadium, Tirana, Albania | Albania | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
5 | 12 August 2009 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
6 | 12 August 2009 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
7 | 3 March 2010 | Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal | China | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
8 | 8 June 2010 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | Mozambique | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
9 | 8 June 2010 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | Mozambique | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
10 | 21 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa | North Korea | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
11 | 3 September 2010 | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal | Cyprus | 1–1 | 4–4 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
12 | 17 November 2010 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal | Spain | 4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
13 | 10 August 2011 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal | Luxembourg | 4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
14 | 10 August 2011 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal | Luxembourg | 5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
15 | 2 September 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Cyprus | 3–0 | 4–0 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
16 | 14 November 2012 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon | Gabon | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
17 | 26 March 2013 | Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 World Cup qualification |
18 | 10 June 2014 | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States | Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
19 | 10 June 2014 | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States | Republic of Ireland | 3–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
Porto
Werder Bremen
Beşiktaş
AEK Athens
Individual
Vanderlei Fernandes Silva, known as Derlei, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a striker.
Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio is a Peruvian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is currently serving as club ambassador for Bayern Munich. He was captain of Peru's national football team, being its fifth highest scorer. He is the highest scorer and most successful Latin American football player in the history of German football. He is the all-time top scorer of SV Werder Bremen, the ninth top scorer in the history of Bayern Munich and the sixth top scorer in the history of the Bundesliga and its second top scorer in the 21st century. He is also among the 20 top scorers in the history of UEFA club competitions and is the seventh highest South American scorer in European football history.
Diego Ribas da Cunha, commonly known as just Diego or Diego Ribas, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Paulo César Silva Peixoto is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a left midfielder but occasionally as a left-back, currently manager of Primeira Liga club Moreirense.
Thomas Schaaf is a German professional football manager, who last managed Werder Bremen and former player who played as a defender. A 'one-club man', Schaaf spent his entire playing career with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. He started coaching the team in 1999 and stepped down in 2013, being one of the longest-serving coaches in the Bundesliga.
Aílton Gonçalves da Silva, also known as Kugelblitz, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A journeyman, Aílton began his career in Brazil where he played for Ypiranga, Internacional, Mogi Mirim, Santa Cruz, and Guarani. Following a stint with Tigres UANL in Mexico, he moved to Germany joining SV Werder Bremen. He spent six seasons with Werder Bremen, winning the double of Bundesliga and cup in the 2003–04 season, before transferring to league rivals FC Schalke 04. In the latter stages of his career he played for Beşiktaş, Hamburger SV, Red Star Belgrade, Grasshoppers Zürich, MSV Duisburg, Metalurh Donetsk, SCR Altach, Campinense, and Chongqing Lifan. He ended his career in the lower leagues with KFC Uerdingen 05, FC Oberneuland, Rio Branco-SP, and Hassia Bingen.
Fabian Ernst is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was regarded as a two-way player who can stop the opposition and start attacks with his passing from central midfield.
Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who played as a left-back. He is the current coach of the Azerbaijan national team.
Raul José Trindade Meireles is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
The 2009 UEFA Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, the 38th season of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second-tier club football tournament. It was also the last final to be held under the UEFA Cup name, as the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League from the 2009–10 season. The final was contested by Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen, with Shakhtar winning the match 2–1 after extra time. All three goalscorers in the game were Brazilians; lone striker Luiz Adriano opened the scoring for Shakhtar midway through the first half, before Naldo equalised from a free kick ten minutes later. The second half was goalless and the match went to extra time; after only seven minutes, Jádson scored for Shakhtar to secure the club's first major European trophy.
Hélder Jorge Leal Rodrigues Barbosa is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a left winger.
Ederzito António Macedo Lopes, commonly known as Eder, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a forward.
The 2005–06 season was Futebol Clube do Porto's 95th competitive season, 72nd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, and 112th year in existence as a football club. Despite finishing bottom of their group in the UEFA Champions League group stage, Dutch coach Co Adriaanse led the Dragões to league and cup double.
Niclas Füllkrug is a German professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club West Ham United and the Germany national team.
André Miguel Valente da Silva is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the Portugal national team.
The 2014–15 FC Porto season was the club's 105th competitive season and the 81st consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. For the first time since the 1988–89 season, and the third during the presidency of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, Porto did not win any official competition.
Milot Rashica is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Süper Lig club Beşiktaş and the Kosovo national team.
The 2016–17 season was the 93rd season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 56th competitive season and second consecutive in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Super League, the Greek Cup and the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League. The season began on 28 July 2016 and finished on 31 May 2017.
The 2017–18 RB Leipzig season was the 9th season in the football club's history and 2nd consecutive and overall season in the top flight of German football, the Bundesliga, having been promoted from the 2. Bundesliga in 2016. In addition to the domestic league, RB Leipzig also participated in the season's editions of the domestic cup, the DFB-Pokal, and the first-tier continental cup, the UEFA Champions League. This was the 8th season for Leipzig in the Red Bull Arena, located in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. The season covers a period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.