João Vieira Pinto

João Manuel Vieira Pinto ( born August 19, 1971 in Campanhã, Porto ) is a former Portuguese football player.

He usually plays as a striker or attacking midfielder and represented the Portuguese national football team, in which he played a key role. Because of his success as a youth international, he belonged to the so-called golden generation of Portugal.

Career

Association

He was born in Campanhã, a district in the east of Porto. As youth players played João Manuel Viera Pinto at Bairro do Falcão and Águias because Areosa ( in Campanhã ). After some time he tried to FC Porto to change, but they did not want to sign him, after which he decided for the team Boavista Porto to play. As a youngster João Pinto was known for his speed and his ball control. After good performances in the junior area of ​​the Portuguese national team some scouts had him on their sticky notes. In the 1990/91 season he moved to Spain to Atlético Madrid, but he was transferred to the reserve team, the Atlético Madrileño called. After a regular season, he returned to Boavista Porto, where he was able to participate in all games. He scored eight goals and was Portuguese Cup winners.

Benfica Lisbon

After these successes he accepted an offer from the Portuguese giants Benfica, where he spent the most successful period of his career. His first year began rather disappointing. Because of problems with the lungs (pneumothorax ) Pinto was forced to watch his teammates at winning the Cup. In 1994 he became a master in 1996 and the Cup was brought back to Lisbon. He was three times elected to the Portuguese Footballer of the Year (1992, 93, 94). In 1995 he received after the retirement of António Veloso, the binding and henceforth led the team as captain on the field. Shortly before the European Football Championship 2000, he was thrown due to disagreements with the then club president João Vale e Azevedo from the association.

Sporting Lisbon

Quick Pinto got offers from the international and domestic. Although he had almost signed a contract with FC Porto, he joined in the summer of 2000 on the Benfica - Sporting Lisbon nemesis. Many Benfica fans saw this against them as effrontery to. After a rather poor first season Sporting bought the then top scorer Mário Jardel. Next to him, Pinto returned to its former strength, and he was again champion and cup winner ( Double 2002).

Boavista Porto

After two disappointing years 2002/ 03 and 2003/ 04, his contract was not renewed at Sporting. Although it was present a signature- mature contract from Saudi Arabian club Al -Hilal, he opted for a return to Porto. There he experienced again a second spring and failed narrowly to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Sporting Braga

In July 2006, Pinto signed a one-year contract with Sporting Braga. During his presentation, he was applauded by many fans. With two goals in 24 games, he helped in reaching the fourth place. Due to this good performance, he extended his contract for another year. In February 2008, Pinto was at the trial of the MLS Toronto FC representative. On 22 Braga announced the termination of the contract with the striker. However, for a working relationship between Pinto and Toronto, there was not.

National

Pinto was early on one of the big stars in the Portuguese national football team. By winning the Junior World Cup in Riyadh ( 1989) and Lisbon (1991 ), he and his former teammates as Vítor Baía and Luís Figo quickly made a name and the Portuguese Association hoped to successful times in the men's area. To a large title of this golden generation, it never came. With the two junior titles Pinto is so far the only player who was able to celebrate this success twice.

For the European Football Championship in England in 1996 he was nominated. After the Portuguese had completed the group stage as the first table, the team already retired from the quarter-finals against eventual finalists the Czech Republic. Pinto graduated two games. Four years later he was in the squad for the Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium. There invaded Portugal to the semi-finals, but lost to the eventual champions France with 1:2 after golden goal to admit defeat. He played four games and was able to achieve his first and only EM- hit in a 3-2 victory against England.

In the Football World Cup 2002, he ran three times for his country.