* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
João Manuel Vieira PintoCvIH (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈʒwɐ̃w̃ ˈpĩtu]; born 19 August 1971) is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played mostly as a forward.
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played with a spherical ball between two teams of eleven players. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by moving the ball beyond the goal line into the opposing goal.
Forwards are the players on an association football team who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals.
Blessed with formidable playmaking skills and goalscoring ability, he made his name mostly at a domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's "Golden Generation",[1] collecting 152 caps and scoring 47 goals all categories comprised (81/23 for the senior team alone) and representing the country in one World Cup and two European Championships.[2]
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals, through their vision, technique, ball control, creativity, and passing ability.
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The current champion is France, which won its second title at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
The UEFA European Championship is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), determining the continental champion of Europe. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations' Cup, changing to the current name in 1968. Starting with the 1996 tournament, specific championships are often referred to in the form "UEFA Euro [year]"; this format has since been retroactively applied to earlier tournaments.
At the club level, Pinto started his career with Boavista, but it was mainly associated with two of the biggest clubs in the country, Benfica and Sporting, with which he won one Primeira Liga each for a total of six major titles combined. Over 19 first division seasons, he played in 450 matches and netted 112 goals.
Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista, is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903 by British entrepreneurs and Portuguese textile workers, it is one of the oldest clubs in the country and plays in the Primeira Liga, Portuguese football's top flight.
The Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sport clubs in Portugal. The football teams of S.L. Benfica and Sporting CP, both from Lisbon, and of FC Porto, from Porto, have a great rivalry and are usually the main contenders for the Primeira Liga title. They share all but two of the Portuguese Football Championships ever played, and generally end up sharing the top three positions. None of them have been relegated from the Primeira Liga either, having been participants in all editions since its first season in 1934–35. Benfica's lowest position was 6th in 2000–01, while Porto's 9th-place finish in 1969–70 makes the closest any side has come to relegation. Sporting's worst classification was the 7th place in 2012–13.
Sport Lisboa e BenficaComC MHIH OM, commonly known as Benfica, is a sports club based in Lisbon, Portugal. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of the Portuguese football league system, where they are the most successful club in terms of titles won.
Football career
As a youth, Pinto played for Bairro do Falcão (where he was born, in Campanhã, Porto's east side) and Águias da Areosa FC, and once tried to join FC Porto's youth system – refused, he moved to Boavista F.C. instead. As a child, he impressed with his speed and ball control, and was subsequently one of the brightest stars in Portugal's wins in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Riyadh and Lisbon, being one of three players ever to have been on the winning side in this competition twice, along with goalkeeperFernando Brassard (whom however did not play in the first tournament) and Argentinian Sergio Agüero;[3][4][5] additionally, he made his Primeira Liga debut at only 17.
Campanhã is a Portuguese freguesia, located in the city of Porto. The population in 2011 was 32,659, in an area of 8.04 km². Located there is the Campanhã station, the most important in Porto.
Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal after Lisbon and one of the major urban areas of the Iberian Peninsula. The city proper has a population of 287,591 and the metropolitan area of Porto, which extends beyond the administrative limits of the city, has a population of 2.3 million (2011) in an area of 2,395 km2 (925 sq mi), making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is recognized as a gamma-level global city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group, the only Portuguese city besides Lisbon to be recognised as a global city.
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM, commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football
Pinto's performance in the first youth competition earned him a transfer to Atlético Madrid in 1990, but he was placed instead with the club's B-team. After a forgettable season he rejoined Boavista, played every game, scored eight goals and helped his team win the 1992 Portuguese Cup, in a final against city rivals Porto; shortly after, he signed with S.L. Benfica.
Club Atlético de Madrid, commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid, Atlético de Madrid or simply as Atlético or Atleti, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid, that play in La Liga. The club play their home games at the Wanda Metropolitano, which has a capacity of 68,000.
Club Atlético de Madrid B is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the community of Madrid. Founded in 17 septembre 1963, it is the reserve team of Atlético Madrid and currently plays in Segunda División B – Group 1. They play their home games at Cerro del Espino Stadium.
The Taça de Portugal is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard as of the 2015–16 season. Organised by the Portuguese Football Federation since it was first held in 1938, the competition is open to professional and amateur clubs from the top-four league divisions. Matches are played from August–September to May–June, and the final is traditionally held at the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, near Lisbon. The winners qualify for the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and the UEFA Europa League.
Whilst with Benfica, Pinto's career was threatened in late 1992 by a collapsed lung during an international match for Portugal in Scotland for the 1994 FIFA World Cupqualifiers[6]– he did recover, but was unable to help the team win the title. However, in the next season, he played arguably his best football there, his best moment coming in the Lisbon derby against Sporting Clube de Portugal, where he scored three goals and was on the play of the remaining three in a 6–3 win at the Estádio José Alvalade; this result proved to be decisive for the club's clinching of the 1994 national championship.[7][6]
A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases the amount of air in the chest increases when a one-way valve is formed by an area of damaged tissue, leading to a tension pneumothorax. This condition can cause a steadily worsening oxygen shortage and low blood pressure. Unless reversed by effective treatment, it can result in death. Very rarely both lungs may be affected by a pneumothorax. It is often called a collapsed lung, although that term may also refer to atelectasis.
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in international men's association football competition since 1921. It is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal.
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in the three major professional tournaments, the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Championship. Scotland, as a constituent country of the United Kingdom, is not a member of the International Olympic Committee and therefore the national team does not compete in the Olympic Games. The majority of Scotland's home matches are played at the national stadium, Hampden Park.
Dubbed "The Golden Boy", Pinto won club captaincy from veteran António Veloso after the latter's retirement in 1995, but was unable to win a national title again. Arguably, the lack of quality of a poorly managed Benfica side played a part in his lack of development after 1995, as he was considered as the main talent of the Portuguese squad alongside playmakerRui Costa; finally, after a wage dispute with Benfica's president João Vale e Azevedo,[8] he was released from contract weeks before the UEFA Euro 2000 (making him the only free-agent in the competition),[9] where he helped the national team reach the semi-finals after scoring eight goals during the qualifying stage: on 13 June 2000, he netted through a header against England for a 3–2 group stage win, after a two-goal disadvantage.[10]
After the end of the tournament Pinto had several offers from abroad, and after almost signing with Porto, he settled for Sporting instead, signing a four-year contract.[11] After a relatively poor season in 2000–01, the Lions hired four-time Portuguese Golden Boot winner Mário Jardel, and Pinto returned to his golden years in a magnificent run which ended with the conquest of his second title; named the "father of the team" by the Brazilian, he played all but one game and scored nine goals.[12]
Although a highly talented player, Pinto was also known for a series of red cards for aggression and bad tackles– his feud with Porto player and national teammate Paulinho Santos lasted for years, and both players would be frequently sent off after hitting each other. Other incidents that stirred some controversy included one case of aggression against a fireman during the half-time break and elbowing a C.F. Estrela da Amadora player during a practice match.
The lowest point, however, was when Pinto hit Argentine referee Ángel Sánchez (in the third group stage game, against South Korea, at the 2002 World Cup), who had sent him off after a bad tackle early in the match.[13] He was suspended for six months.[14]
Pinto ended his Portugal career with 81 caps, 23 goals, and appearances in Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup. Never recovering fully from the incident at the latter tournament, he failed to impress in the following seasons, when Sporting failed to reach the top two spots, and in 2004 he was released from contract, returning to Boavista. Although he was close to signing with Al-Hilal FC of Saudi Arabia in the January transfer window, he remained with his first professional club.[15]
After a second season carrying Boavista's squad (who almost qualified for UEFA Cup, with him scoring nine league goals and receiving numerous Man of the match awards), Pinto accepted the invitation of S.C. Braga's board in July 2006,[16] signing for one season. He netted twice in 24 appearances in an eventual fourth-place finish for the Minho side, and extended his contract for the 2007–08 season;[17] however, during February 2008, he trained with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and, late into that month, announced the termination of his contract at Braga,[18] retiring shortly after at nearly 37 years of age.[6]
Still in his teens, Pinto had two children from his first marriage to Carla Baía.[22][6] The elder, Tiago, first played professionally with C.D. Olivais e Moscavide;[23] in 2008 he married television presenter Marisa Cruz, with the couple divorcing five years later.[22]
Pinto's younger brother, Sérgio, was also a footballer, having played almost exclusively in the lower leagues of Portugal and one year in England.[24]
Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian professional footballer who played as a striker.
João Pedro da Silva Pereira is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor mainly as a right back.
Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira is a Portuguese football manager who is the current manager of Qatari club Al Sadd SC.
Nuno Fernando Gonçalves da Rocha, known as Capucho, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a winger, and a manager.
The 2007–08 Primeira Liga was the 74th edition of the Primeira Liga, the top professional league for Portuguese association football clubs. It started on 17 August 2007 and ended on 11 May 2008, with the fixtures announced on 12 July 2007. Porto were the two-time defending champions, having won their 22nd title the previous season, and secured a third consecutive title for the second time in their history.
The 1995–96 Primeira Divisão was the 62nd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 19 August 1995 with a match between União de Leiria and Marítimo, and ended on 12 May 1996. Starting from this season, Portugal implemented the three points for a win rule, after FIFA formally adopted the system. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
The 1996–97 Primeira Divisão was the 63rd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 25 August 1996 with a match between Benfica and Braga, and ended on 15 June 1997. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
The 1997–98 Primeira Divisão was the 64th edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 25 August 1997 with a match between Varzim and Porto, and ended on 17 May 1998. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
The 1998–99 Primeira Divisão was the 65th edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 23 August 1998 with a match between Chaves and Académica Coimbra, and ended on 30 May 1999. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
The 1999–2000 Primeira Liga was the 66th season of top-tier football in Portugal. The competition was renamed Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Liga, Primeira Liga for short, after the Portuguese League for Professional Football took control of the two top nationwide leagues in 1999. It started on 20 August 1999 and ended on 14 May 2000. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
The 2001–02 Primeira Liga was the 68th edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 11 August 2001 with a match between Varzim and Benfica, and ended on 5 May 2002. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Boavista as the defending champions.
The 2005–06 Primeira Liga was the 72nd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 19 August 2005 with a match between Sporting CP and Belenenses and ended on 7 May 2006. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Benfica as defending champions.
The 1997–98 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 94th season in existence and the club's 64th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. It involved Benfica competing in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal. Benfica qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing 3rd in the previous Primeira Divisão.
The 2001–02 season, covering the period from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002, was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 98th season in existence and the club's 68th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal, but did not take part in European football due to their league finish in the previous season.
The 1995–96 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 92nd season in existence and the club's 62nd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996. It involved Benfica competing in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal. Benfica qualified for the UEFA Cup by coming third in previous League.
The 1992–93 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 89th season in existence and the club's 59th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal, and participated in the UEFA Cup by finishing second in the previous season.
The 1982–83 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 79th season in existence and the club's 49th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1982 to 30 June 1983. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal, and participated in the UEFA Cup after coming in second in previous league.
The 2017–18 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 114th season in existence and the club's 84th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 5 August 2017, with Benfica's victory in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, and concluded on 13 May 2018.
↑ Malheiro, João (July 2006). Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias[Benfica Memorial 100 glories] (in Portuguese) (Third ed.). QuidNovi. pp.82–83. ISBN978-972-8998-26-4.
1 2 "Bicampeões para a história" [Back-to-back champions for the ages]. Visão (in Portuguese). Portugal: Impresa Publishing. May 2015. p.60. ISSN0872-3540.
Further reading
Lopes, Luís (2008). Os Magníficos: João Pinto, o menino de ouro[The Magnificents: João Pinto, the golden boy] (First ed.). QuidNovi. ISBN978-989-554-500-1.
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