Sérgio Conceição

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sérgio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição (pron. IPA: ['sɛɾʒiu kõsɐi'sɐ̃ũ]) is a Portuguese football player, born on November 15, 1974 in Coimbra. Sérgio Conceição has excelled both in FC Porto and in a star-studded SS Lazio. He currently plays for PAOK Thessaloniki FC in the Greek Super League.

He gained 56 caps for the Portugal national football team, scoring 12 goals. 8 of those caps came while at FC Porto (including his debut against Ukraine on 9 November 1996, a 1-0 win in the world-cup qualifiers), 22 during his spell at Lazio, 6 at Parma and 20 while at Inter Milan. In his last international game he was on the losing end of a 3-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Spain on 6 September 2003.

Coimbra's municipality governors named a local 2,500-seater stadium after him - the Estádio Municipal Sérgio Conceição.

[edit] Club career

Conceição began his career playing for the youth teams of his hometown's Académica. Then he played for Leça FC and FC Felgueiras before moving to FC Porto in 1996. Two hugely successful years with Porto saw Conceição’s marauding runs down the right flank, combined with a good goalscoring record, help his team to back-to-back domestic championships and a Portuguese Cup triumph.

In total at Porto, he won 2 Portuguese Football Championship titles and 2 Portuguese Football Cups. In 56 league appearances for FC Porto he scored 9 goals.

He joined SS Lazio from Porto for €11.2 million, and played a significant part in their UEFA Cup Winners Cup success while also scoring five goals in 33 games in his first Serie A season.

Speedy and strong on the right flank, he also weighs in with his fair share of goals. He is also an excellent crosser of the ball. What makes him more dangerous is his ability to play either side of the field and his standout service from the wings. Conceição scored one goal in nine Euro 2000 qualifying appearances and the greatest game of his career came in the finals of that tournament, on June 20, 2000, when he scored a brilliant hat-trick as Portugal thrashed Germany 3-0 in a first-round group game in Rotterdam.

Later that same year, he transferred to Parma AC. In the summer of 2001, Conceição was used as a makeweight in the transfer of Sebastien Frey, which saw him go from Parma to Inter Milan while Frey went in the other direction. He would eventually leave Inter by mutual agreement, and re-joined Lazio, leaving for another familiar side, FC Porto, towards the end of 2003-04, again by mutual agreement.

In 2004 he signed for Belgian club Standard Liège on a one-year deal. He won the Belgian Golden Shoe for best player of the year in 2005. In March 2006, he was suspended for 3 years (4.5 months, and the rest suspended) [1], depending on good behaviour, for spitting on a player and assaulting a referee. [2] After the 2006-07 season, Conceição decided to move to Kuwait as he joined Al Qadisiya, after failing to win silverware with Standard, getting very close to the title in 2005-06 and almost winning the cup in 2006-07.

As of January 2008, Sergio is a player of the massively supported Greek side PAOK FC from Thessaloniki, after signing a contract on a 18-month duration. His signing is largely attributed to the successful intervention of PAOK technical director (and former player) Zisis Vryzas, who came to an understanding with Al Qadisiya. Sergio is one of the most glamorous and important foreign players ever to play for the club. He was welcomed by about 700 PAOK fans at his arrival in Thessaloniki. Though he has yet to find a place in the starting eleven, he is eagerly waited upon to show his potential for the remainder of the season. Sergio has also been given the number 7 shirt, worn by legendary former player (and current chairman) Theodoros Zagorakis.

[edit] International appearances

Early in his international career, Conceição was not known for his scoring prowess. But since his breakout performance at Euro 2000, he can be counted on for offence.

At Euro 2000, Portugal reached the semi-finals thanks in part to Sérgio. In the third and final match of the group stage, against defending champions Germany, Conceição could not be contained. He bagged a hat-trick, scoring on 35, 54 and 71 minutes, and Portugal won, 3-0. Portugal had guaranteed the first place in the group in the first two games, so this third game was played mostly with substitutes, which was his case. With such an incredible performance he gained a position in the team.

Against France in the semi-final, Conceição created problems for the opposite defenders the whole match. His performance at Euro 2000 stamped his place on Portuguese national team.

In qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Conceição scored four goals as Portugal finished atop a group that also featured the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands. He scored the game-winner against the Netherlands in Rotterdam, and added another against fellow FIFA World Cup-participant Ireland.

v • d • e Portugal squad - UEFA Euro 2000 1 V. Baía • 2 J. Costa • 3 Rui Jorge • 4 Vidigal • 5 F. Couto • 6 P. Sousa • 7 Figo • 8 J. Pinto • 9 Sá Pinto • 10 Rui Costa • 11 S. Conceição • 12 P. Espinha • 13 Dimas • 14 Abel Xavier • 15 Costinha • 16 Beto • 17 P. Bento • 18 Pauleta • 19 Capucho • 20 Secretário • 21 Nuno Gomes • 22 Quim • Coach: H. Coelho

v • d • e Portugal squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 V. Baía • 2 J. Costa • 3 A. Xavier • 4 Caneira • 5 F. Couto • 6 P. Sousa • 7 Figo • 8 J. Pinto • 9 Pauleta • 10 Rui Costa • 11 S. Conceição • 12 H. Viana • 13 J. Andrade • 14 P. Barbosa • 15 Nélson • 16 Ricardo • 17 P. Bento • 18 Frechaut • 19 Capucho • 20 Petit • 21 Nuno Gomes • 22 Beto • 23 Rui Jorge • Coach: A. Oliveira

[edit] References