| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Flávio Miguel Magalhães Sousa Meireles | ||
| Date of birth | 3 October 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Ribeira de Pena, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1990 | Ribeira Pena | ||
| 1990–1995 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1996 | Vitória Guimarães | 0 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Moreirense | 4 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Fafe | 22 | (0) |
| 1999 | Vitória Guimarães | 2 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Fafe | 26 | (2) |
| 2000–2003 | Moreirense | 90 | (6) |
| 2003–2011 | Vitória Guimarães | 182 | (7) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Flávio Miguel Magalhães Sousa Meireles (born 3 October 1976 in Ribeira de Pena, Vila Real) is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Most of his 16-year professional career was associated with Vitória de Guimarães, which he represented in three different spells, appearing in nearly 250 official games.
Meireles began his professional career with in Vitória de Guimarães, having no impact whatsoever at the club in his first spell, and moving to the lower leagues in 1996, first with Moreirense FC (where he also appeared very rarely, in the second division) then A.D. Fafe.
In 1999, he returned to Vitória, meeting the same fate, and quickly moved again to Fafe. The following season, he switched to another, former club, Moreirense, being instrumental as the club (also based in Guimarães) promoted from the third to the top level in only two years, under manager Manuel Machado.
For 2003–04, Meireles re-joined Vitória de Guimarães, for a third spell. His first game came on 18 August 2003, playing the entire 1–0 home win over União de Leiria. At the Minho side, he was now an automatic first-choice and club captain from the start, helping it achieve promotion in 2007, as well as reaching UEFA Champions League qualification honours in the following season, with Meireles playing in all but two games, netting three goals; in two different spells with the club, he was again coached by Machado.
On 22 May 2011, after appearing in the Portuguese Cup final against F.C. Porto, 34-year old Meireles announced his immediate retirement from football.[1] Shortly after, he was appointed as a coach at the club.[2]