Simão Sabrosa

From Free net encyclopedia

Simão Sabrosa (pron. IPA: /Template:IPA/; Simão for short) is a midfielder who plays for the Portugal national football team and SL Benfica. He was born on 31 October 1979 in Constantim, Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. He is a product of Sporting's youth system just like Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo but moved to archrivals SL Benfica in 2001, after a brief 1 year passage through FC Barcelona, on a 10 million euro deal. He is currently the captain of SL Benfica and considered to be one of the best players currently playing in the Portuguese championship. He is a very quick attacking midfielder/wing forward with a lightning fast dribble and a taste for scoring decisive goals. The Summer 2005 transfer window saw Simão targeted by English Premiership club Liverpool FC, though negotiations reportedly dissipated over Benfica's increase in asking price. He recently missed the Champions League game against Manchester United through injury. His presence seemingly wasn't missed as Benfica drew out 2-1 winners. This loss sent Manchester United out at the group stage and Benfica through to the second phase.

Since he arrived to SL Benfica in 2001, he has always ended seasons as the best goalscorer of the squad. He has scored so far 72 goals in 172 matches for Benfica, an extraordinary record for a winger. He has written 2 books and recently launched a DVD teaching children how to play football.

An attacker who has played for leading clubs in Portugal and Spain, Simão has excellent ball skills, a fierce shot and is equally adept on either flank.

1 National team
2 Club
3 1999
4 2001
5 2004/05
6 2005\2006
7 Facts
8 Honours
9 External link

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National team

Simão's path to the Portugal senior squad began at junior level, where he won the UEFA European Under-16 Championship in 1996. He graduated to the U18s and U21s before making his full debut against Israel on 12 November 1998. Then 19, he replaced Rui Costa and scored in a 2-0 victory. Overlooked for UEFA EURO 2000™, Simão missed out on the 2002 FIFA World Cup through injury but played at UEFA EURO 2004™ and has since cemented a place in the starting lineup.

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Club

A product of the Sporting Clube de Portugal youth system, Simão was promoted to the first-team squad in 1996/97 and duly scored on his debut - just one minute after being introduced as a substitute. He spent three seasons in the Sporting side - registering ten goals in 30 league games in 1998/99 - before crossing the border to Spain.

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1999

Was chiefly used from the bench in his first term at FC Barcelona following a €15m transfer but broke into the team during the 2000/01 campaign, when he played in all of Barcelona's UEFA Champions League matches.

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2001

He sought a move back to Portuguese football, though, and in January 2001 was signed by SL Benfica in a deal reportedly worth €12m. Then 21, Simão agreed a three-year contract with the Lisbon side. In 2002/03 he hit 18 league goals in 33 outings, having scored eleven in 26 the previous season. Captained Benfica in the majority of his 31 matches after Hélder fell out of favour with coach José Antonio Camacho and struck the decisive goal in the Portuguese Cup final as the side defeated FC Porto.

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2004/05

Ever-present as he inspired Benfica to their first SuperLiga title for eleven years scoring 15 goals although he was dogged by a hernia in the second half of the season. He underwent an operation on his hernia at the end of the season.

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2005\2006

Simao captianed SL Benfica to the Quaterfinals of the UEFA Champions league. He also scored a goal aganst Liverpool the former Champion league champions.

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