Ricardo Sousa

Ricardo Sousa
Personal information
Full name Ricardo André de Pinho Sousa
Date of birth (1979-01-11) 11 January 1979
Place of birth São João da Madeira, Portugal
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1988–1997 Sanjoanense
1997–1998 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2002 Porto 1 (0)
1998–1999 → Beira-Mar (loan) 14 (5)
1999 → Santa Clara (loan) 17 (2)
2000 Porto B 6 (1)
2000–2001 → Beira-Mar (loan) 27 (11)
2001 → Belenenses (loan) 14 (2)
2002–2003 Beira-Mar 33 (11)
2003–2004 Boavista 32 (14)
2004–2007 Hannover 18 (1)
2005 → De Graafschap (loan) 10 (0)
2006–2007 → Boavista (loan) 16 (2)
2007 Omonia 4 (0)
2008 Kickers Offenbach 16 (1)
2008 Beira-Mar 6 (0)
2009 União Leiria 4 (0)
2009–2010 Drava Ptuj 6 (1)
2010–2011 Oliveirense 15 (2)
2012–2013 São João de Ver 4 (1)
2013–2015 Gafanha 34 (8)
Total 277 (62)
National team
1999 Portugal U20 11 (3)
2001–2002 Portugal U21 4 (2)
Teams managed
2015 Sanjoanense

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Ricardo André de Pinho Sousa (born 11 January 1979) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and a current manager.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 154 games and 47 goals over the course of seven seasons, representing in the competition Porto, Beira-Mar, Santa Clara, Belenenses and Boavista. He also competed professionally in Germany, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Slovenia.

Club career

Sousa was born in São João da Madeira. Growing up as a footballer in FC Porto, he would however play only three games for its main squad – a 0–0 Primeira Liga draw against C.D. Santa Clara and two UEFA Champions League appearances, twice as a substitute – and went on to represent S.C. Beira-Mar, where he made his top division debuts in the second part of the 1998–99 season, C.D. Santa Clara and C.F. Os Belenenses in consecutive loans; on 16 June 1999 he scored arguably the most important goal of his career, as the Aveiro team defeated S.C. Campomaiorense 1–0 to win the campaign's domestic cup.[1]

In July 2002 Sousa was finally released by Porto, returning to Beira-Mar and representing Boavista F.C. in the following season. During his year with the Axadrezados he netted 14 goals for a side that only achieved 32, one of the worst records in that year's top level.

Subsequently Sousa left Boavista, playing two years with German club Hannover 96 (this included a six-month loan, starting in January 2005, to De Graafschap in the Netherlands). He would nonetheless represent Boavista again in 2006–07, in the same predicament.

In the 2007 summer, Sousa started a Cypriot adventure with AC Omonia. In January of the following year, however, he returned to Germany and joined 2. Bundesliga's Kickers Offenbach, starting in all 16 appearances he made and providing five assists, in an eventual relegation.

Sousa split the 2008–09 season in Segunda Liga, starting with Beira-Mar and signing for U.D. Leiria in January 2009. After contributing with only four matches and 97 minutes to the latter's return to the top flight, he moved abroad again, now with NK Drava Ptuj in Slovenia.

International career

Sousa represented Portugal at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring once against South Korea and playing in all four games.[2]

Personal life

Sousa is the son of another footballer – and midfielder – António Sousa, who played club football in the 80's for Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal, also being a mainstay with the national team during that decade.

After retiring he went on to have a lengthy spell in management, coaching Ricardo at Beira-Mar in three different stints (1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03).

References

  1. ↑ "Beira-Mar 1–0 Campomaiorense". Zerozero. 19 June 1999. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. ↑ Ricardo Sousa – FIFA competition record
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