Fernando Couto

Fernando Couto 2011

Fernando Manuel Silva Couto ( born August 2, 1969 in Espinho ) is a Portuguese footballer, who played as an experienced central defender for numerous top European clubs and the Portuguese national football team.

A shadow is on the positive image Couto, since 2001, he was tested positive for nandrolone and blocked for five months. In April 2007 he was sentenced to 4,000 euro fine because of the Italian anti -doping law. Couto still protested his innocence anyway.

  • 2.1 In the club
  • 2.2 In the National Team

Career

In the club

Fernando Couto was born as one of eight children in 1969 in Espinho. There he spent his childhood and played the resident club Sporting de Espinho. After that, the club Lusitânia de Lourosa followed before he moved to FC Porto. There he was first in the youth division, before he joined the 1987/88 season to the professional squad of dragons. In the first year he came to his first deployment. However, this should remain its only for this season. In the following years the FC managers hired him out to the third division side FC Famalicão and the university team Académica Coimbra. There he was to gain experience and match practice. In 1990 he returned to FC Porto. Now he was able to prevail in the top club and carried over the next four years to the profit of three Portuguese Cups.

In summer 1994, he opted for a move to AC Parma in the Serie A. In his first year with the Italians, the club impressed in the UEFA Cup and penetrated to the finals before. There they became the league rival Juventus against. Through an early goal in the first leg Parma won 1-0. The return match on 17 May 1995 ended in a 1-1 draw. In two games Couto completed the full 90 minutes. After another season he left the ACP after the 1995/ 96 in the direction of Spain. For the equivalent of 5.5 million euros, FC Barcelona secured the services of uncompromising defender. National, he won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup ) and once the championship with the Catalans twice. Internationally, he has enjoyed success. After a 1-0 win over Paris Saint- Germain in the final on 14 May 1997, he won the European Cup Winners' Cup.

1998 returns Couto the Spanish traditional club back and decided to switch back to Italy. In the capital club Lazio, he signed a contract and permanent the club seven years faithfully. Even with the Romans he gained title. As in 1997, he was also in the 1999 final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. In the last final of this trophy his team won 2-1 against Real Mallorca. Under the leadership of Sven- Göran Eriksson, he was in the following year by Italian masters. With the win the Cup in the same season, the Double was done perfectly. 2004 won the trophy Couto a second time with Lazio. In summer 2005, he moved within Italy and signed up for the umpteenth time at FC Parma. His last game in Serie A, he played on the final day of the season 2007/ 08 on 18 May 2008 at the age of 39 years. He then announced end of his career. With eleven players being sent off, he has a very upscale place in the historical statistics of the Serie A. At the end of the 2007/08 season he was tied with two other players and only three had more.

In the National Team

Because of its good services, he was appointed in November 1986 in the U-18 selection of Portugal. 1989 Couto was nominated for the Portuguese squad for the Junior World Cup U-20. The team made ​​it to the finals of the tournament, defeating Nigeria. With this victory, the so-called 'golden generation' of Portugal was born. Besides Couto players like Luís Figo and Rui Costa were there. But this triumph was more a curse than a blessing and the team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994 and 1998. During the 2002 World Cup, the troops already retired from the group stage.

Successful tournaments were at European level. In the European Football Championship in England in 1996 Couto team reached the quarter-finals. Four years later eliminated in the semi-final against eventual winners France. To Euro 2004 in their own country Couto should lead the national team as captain to the tournament. However, after a disappointing performance in the 1-2 defeat in the opening game against Greece, he was banished by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for the following games on the bench and replaced by Ricardo Carvalho. The captain then took over Luís Figo. Portugal made ​​it to the finals, but could be no revenge for the first game there and lost for the second time against the Greeks.

After the end of the tournament Couto announced his retirement from international football.

Achievements

In the club

  • Portuguese Cup: 1987/88, 1991/92, 1992/93
  • Portuguese Cup: 1987/88, 1990/91, 1993/94
  • Portuguese Supercup: 1991, 1993
  • Spanish Cup: 1997/98
  • Spanish Cup: 1996/97, 1997/98
  • Spanish Supercup: 1997
  • Italian Championship: 1999/2000
  • Italian Cup: 1999/2000, 2003/ 04
  • Italian Supercup: 2000
  • UEFA Cup: 1995/95
  • European Cup Winners' Cup: 1996/97, 1998/99
  • UEFA Super Cup: 1999

In the National Team

  • U- 20 World Cup ( 1): 1989
  • European Championships ( 3): 1996, 2000, 2004
  • FIFA World Cup ( 1): 2002
Espinho, Portugal S.S. Lazio 1996–97 Copa del Rey 1997–98 Copa del Rey 1999–2000 Serie A Coppa Italia 1999–2000 Coppa Italia 2003–04 Coppa Italia 1994–95 UEFA Cup 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
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