Simão Sabrosa

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This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Fonseca and the second or paternal family name is Sabrosa.
Simão

Simão playing for Portugal
Personal information
Full nameSimão Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa
Date of birth (1979-10-31) 31 October 1979
Place of birthVila Real, Portugal
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionWinger
Club information
Current clubEspanyol
Number20
Youth career
1991–1992Diogo Cão
1992–1997Sporting CP
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1999Sporting CP53(12)
1999–2001Barcelona46(3)
2001–2007Benfica172(76)
2007–2010Atlético Madrid113(20)
2011–2012Beşiktaş46(8)
2012–Espanyol26(3)
National team
1998–2000Portugal U2115(8)
1998–2010[1]Portugal85(22)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:13, 6 June 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Simão Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa, OIH (born 31 October 1979), known mononymously as Simão (Portuguese pronunciation: [siˈmɐ̃w̃]), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for RCD Espanyol in La Liga, mainly as a left winger – he can also play as a forward – with dribbling and set piece skills as primary attributes.

Having played in his country for two of the three biggest teams in the nation, Benfica and Sporting, he also spent several years of his career in Spain, notably with Atlético Madrid.

Internationally, Sabrosa represented Portugal in two World Cups and as many European Championships, appearing in almost 90 matches for the senior side and helping it finish second at Euro 2004.

Club career

Sporting

Born in the village of Constantim in Vila Real, Simão started his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, whose prolific youth system had just produced Luís Figo – and later Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

During his two-year spell he played in more than 60 official games with the first team, his first goal coming in his debut at only 17 in a 3–0 away win against Gil Vicente FC.[2]

Barcelona

Simão moved to FC Barcelona in the summer of 1999 on a €15 million transfer,[3] partnering with Figo in his first year as Barça finished second in La Liga to Deportivo de La Coruña. In 2001, after a comparatively low-key tenure at the Spanish club,[4] he moved back to his country, signing with S.L. Benfica for a Portuguese League record transfer €12 million.[5]

Benfica

Simão instantly became a fan-favorite as his new team, quickly acquiring the status of captain. Also, during his six-year stint, he always finished as the club's topscorer, also ranking high in the global league charts.

In the 2004–05 season, as the Reds won the national championship after a 11-year wait,[6] he played in all the matches and minutes, scoring 15 goals. Benfica also reached the domestic cup final in a 1–2 loss against Vitória de Setúbal, with the winger scoring the losing side's goal through a fourth-minute penalty; in the season's UEFA Cup he also appeared in all the matches, scoring four goals including two against Dukla Banská Bystrica in a 3–0 away triumph,[7] with his team eventually reaching the round-of-32.

The 2005 summer transfer window saw Simão targeted by Liverpool[8] in an offer worth approximately £12 million, though negotiations reportedly failed over Benfica's increase in asking price.[9] He continued his excellent form into the 2005–06 season, helping his side in the UEFA Champions League campaign, where it reached the quarterfinals.

Simão played in eight of Benfica's ten matches in the tournament, including the 1–2 loss at Manchester United in the group stage, firing his team level shortly before the hour with an exquisite free-kick, after he himself had been fouled by Alan Smith.[10] In the knockout stages he helped stun title holders Liverpool, unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner of Pepe Reina's goal, as the Portuguese won 2–0 at Anfield and 3–0 overall.[11]

The following year several clubs, such as Manchester United and again Liverpool also revealed interest in Simão,[12][13] but he decided to stay in Benfica.

Atlético Madrid

Simão (right) speaking with referee Frank De Bleeckere during a match for Atlético Madrid.

Finally, on 20 July 2007, Atlético Madrid reached an agreement to sign Simão from Benfica for a fee of €20 million.[14] During his first two seasons, in which he was an undisputed starter, he scored seven goals apiece, as the club finished fourth in the top division on both occasions.

On 12 April 2009 Simão entered in the hundred-year history of the capital club, by scoring its 4000th goal in the league with a left-footed diagonal shot against Deportivo.[15]

In the 2009 summer, Sabrosa became one of Atlético's captains for the new campaign, receiving that role from coach Abel Resino after a reshuffle.[16] As the Colchoneros underachieved overall, he scored in the Champions League at APOEL F.C. in a 1–1 away draw, a goal that secured the club's place in the season's UEFA Europa League.[17]

On 14 January 2010, Simão scored twice to lead Atlético to a 5–1 home victory over Recreativo de Huelva and into the Copa del Rey's last-eight (5–4 aggregate win), including a late goal that decided the tie from a superbly taken freekick. He also scored an important goal in the Europa League against Galatasaray SK as the team eventually won the competition, with the player appearing in the final against Fulham.

After a disappointing previous campaign, Simão began the 2010–11 season on a high note, scoring three goals in the first eight games – notably in a 1–1 draw at Valencia CF on 22 September 2010 – and starting in 15 out of the 16 matches he appeared in. He also captained the side more frequently due to the absence of Antonio López, most notably in the UEFA Super Cup's 2–0 defeat of Inter Milan, where he set up a goal for Sergio Agüero.

Beşiktaş

On 22 December 2010, aged 31, Sabrosa signed with Süper Lig team Beşiktaş JK for €900,000,[18][19][20] reuniting with Portugal teammates Hugo Almeida and Ricardo Quaresma. On 11 May 2011, he scored the decisive penalty in the shootout as Beşiktaş won the Turkish Cup against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (4–3, 2–2 after extra time).

Simão faced his previous team in the 2011–12 Europa League round-of-16, scoring in a 1–3 loss at the Vicente Calderón Stadium (1–6 on aggregate).[21]

Espanyol

Simão joined RCD Espanyol on a free transfer on 17 August 2012, signing a two-year contract.[22] He scored his first goal with his new club on 7 December, featuring as a second-half substitute and heading in from a corner kick in an eventual 2–2 home draw against Sevilla FC.

International career

Simão in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Denmark.

Simão's path to the national team began when he won the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in 1996. The following year, he began playing for the under-18, being a regular in the under-21 team two years later.

Simão made his full debut for the national team at only 19 years of age, on 18 November 1998 against Israel. He did not make the list for the 2002 FIFA World Cup due to injury,[3] but he did participate in the UEFA Euro 2004, where hosts Portugal finished in second place. In this tournament he played in three of Portugal's six matches in the tournament. His most notable appearance during the tournament came against England in the quarter-finals where Portugal eventually overcame the English team on penalties to advance to the last four: he came on as a second-half substitute and seized on Frank Lampard's wayward pass and crossed for Hélder Postiga, who headed in unmarked scoring the equalizing goal in the late minutes of the game, bringing it to extra time and an eventual successful penalty shootout, where Sabrosa scored on his attempt.[23]

Simão was named again in the Portuguese squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, finishing fourth overall. He played in all of Portugal's matches in the tournament, scoring only one goal on the 24th minute against Mexico, in a 2–1 group stage win;[24] on 1 July, in the quarter-finals, Portugal and England met again in a penalty shootout (0–0 after 120 minutes) and Simão helped to another victory, netting his attempt for the final 3–1 win.[25]

In Euro 2008, Simão played in three of Portugal's matches and did not find the net, as the nation was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Germany.[26]

While many looked at Ronaldo as the star of the national side, it was Simão who proved to be the matchwinner in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, finishing as Portugal's top scorer[3] with four goals, including two in a 3–0 home win against Hungary.[27]

Simão was selected for the finals in South Africa: a starter from the second group stage match, he scored with a low right footed shot after a neat passing move in that game, a 7–0 routing of North Korea on 21 June 2010.[28] On 27 August 2010 he stepped down from the national squad, citing personal reasons.[29]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 18 November 1998 Estádio do Bonfim, Setúbal, Portugal  Israel 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2. 30 April 2003 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Netherlands 1–1 1–1 Friendly
3. 20 August 2003 Estádio Municipal de Chaves, Chaves, Portugal  Kazakhstan 1–0 1–0 Friendly
4. 11 October 2003 Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal  Albania 2–2 5–3 Friendly
5. 13 October 2004 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal  Russia 5–1 7–1 2006 World Cup qualification
6. 3 September 2005 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal  Luxembourg 5–0 6–0 2006 World Cup qualification
7. 3 September 2005 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal  Luxembourg 6–0 6–0 2006 World Cup qualification
8. 3 June 2006 Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz, France  Luxembourg 0–1 0–3 Friendly
9. 3 June 2006 Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz, France  Luxembourg 0–2 0–3 Friendly
10. 21 June 2006 Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany  Mexico 2–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup
11. 15 November 2006 Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal  Kazakhstan 1–0 3–0 Euro 2008 qualifying
12. 15 November 2006 Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal  Kazakhstan 3–0 3–0 Euro 2008 qualifying
13. 6 February 2007 Emirates Stadium, London, England  Brazil 0–1 0–2 Friendly
14. 12 September 2007 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal  Serbia 1–0 1–1 Euro 2008 qualifying
15. 31 May 2008 Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal  Georgia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
16. 20 August 2008 Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal  Faroe Islands 2–0 5–0 Friendly
17. 6 September 2008 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Malta 0–3 0–4 2010 World Cup qualification
18. 19 November 2008 Bezerrão, Gama, Brazil  Brazil 4–2 6–2 Friendly
19. 10 October 2009 Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal  Hungary 1–0 3–0 2010 World Cup qualification
20. 10 October 2009 Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal  Hungary 3–0 3–0 2010 World Cup qualification
21. 14 October 2009 Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal  Malta 2–0 4–0 2010 World Cup qualification
22. 21 June 2010 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa  North Korea 2–0 7–0 2010 FIFA World Cup

Statistics

Club

Club League Season League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sporting Primeira Liga 1996–97 21100031
1997–98 2113020261
1998–99 301010203310
Total 531250406212
Barcelona La Liga 1999–2000 2113070311
2000–01 2524190383
Total 46371160694
Benfica Primeira Liga 2001–02 261110–2711
2002–03 331800–3318
2003–04 3112411024515
2004–05 3415431044822
2005–06 24932823513
2006–07 2411311243916
Total 17276157401222795
Atlético Madrid La Liga 2007–08 30730834110
2008–09 3373082449
2009–10 34283172597
2010–11 1641171246
Total 1132015440816832
Beşiktaş Süper Lig 2010–11 15553–208
2011–12 3132092425
Total 46873926213
Espanyol La Liga 2012–13 26310–273
Career total 456122501510922615159

International

National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 199811
199900
200050
200150
200240
200383
2004121
200552
2006125
200762
200894
2009113
201031
Total8022

Honours

Team

Benfica
Atlético Madrid
Beşiktaş

Country

  • UEFA Under-16 Championship: 1996
  • UEFA European Football Championship: Runner-up 2004

Individual

Orders

Outside football

Personal life

Sabrosa was married to Filipa. They had two children, a boy named Martim and a girl, Mariana. Simão and Filipa divorced in 2011.

Simão is the youngest of three children – siblings are Sandra and Serafim; the latter's four-year-old son Diogo died on 15 March 2009, when he drowned in a beach in Quebrada, Portugal.[31]

Other ventures

Simão launched a DVD named "Como Se Faz um Campeão" ("How To Make A Champion"), where he teaches children how to play football. There, he addresses the basic technical elements of football: passing, receiving, free crossings or shootouts are explained in detail using elaborate technical effects of television, in a production unprecedented in national DVD history.[32]

Additionally, Sabrosa was the protagonist of a new campaign for the Sport TV HD, a high-definition channel offered by ZON Multimédia. It was shot on the outskirts of Lisbon, at Estádio Nacional, and the player is seen in the dressing room being painted before a football game. The objective is to disguise dark circles and other imperfections that become visible in transmissions in HD.[33]

Simão, alongside Frank Lampard, is also on the cover of the Portuguese edition of FIFA 10's cover (it is the 18th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games, available for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Wii). He said: "It's an honor to be part of the EA Sports FIFA. Being on the cover of this fantastic video game with such a rich history it's truly a great achievement for me".[34]

References

  1. ↑ "Simao Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa - Goals in International Matches". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 
  2. ↑ City diary: Lisbon; UEFA.com, 17 May 2004
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Player profile; at ESPN Soccernet
  4. ↑ Sabrosa offers Barcelona ultimatum; BBC Sport, 18 July 2000
  5. ↑ "Miccoli to lead Benfica line". UEFA.com. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  6. ↑ Portugal – List of Champions; at RSSSF
  7. ↑ Banská Bystrica 0–3 Benfica; UEFA.com, 16 September 2004
  8. ↑ Wallace, Sam (5 January 2006). "Liverpool confident they will land £8m Simao". The Independent (London). Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  9. ↑ "Liverpool fail in move for Simao". BBC Sport. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  10. ↑ "United save their best until last". UEFA.com. 27 September 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  11. ↑ "Simão sends Liverpool crashing out". UEFA.com. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  12. ↑ "Sunday's gossip column". BBC Sport. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Tuesday's gossip column". BBC Sport. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  14. ↑ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (in Portuguese). CMVM. 26 July 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2010. 
  15. ↑ "Simão enters Atlético history by scoring goal number 4,000". Atlético's official website. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  16. ↑ "Simao Sabrosa proud to captain Atletico Madrid". Goal.com. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  17. ↑ "APOEL denied by Simão strike". UEFA.com. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Simão Sabrosa abandona el Atlético de Madrid y ficha por el Besiktas" [Simão Sabrosa leaves Atlético de Madrid and signs with Besiktas] (in Spanish). Atlético Madrid's official website. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010. 
  19. ↑ "Simao Sabrosa Beşiktaş’ta" [Simao Sabrosa a Besiktas player] (in Turkish). Besiktas JK. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  20. ↑ Besiktas futbol yatirimlari sanayi ve ticaret A.Ş. / BJKAS; KAP, 23 December 2010 (Turkish)
  21. ↑ "Atlético advantage reduced by old boy Simão". UEFA.com. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012. 
  22. ↑ Simao, happy to join RCD Espanyol; Espanyol's official website, 20 August 2012
  23. ↑ "Hosts hold their nerve". UEFA.com. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  24. ↑ Portugal progress as pool winners; UEFA.com, 21 June 2006
  25. ↑ England – Portugal Report; FIFA.com, 1 July 2006
  26. ↑ "Portugal ousted by German power show". UEFA.com. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
  27. ↑ "Simao brace propels Portugal". FIFA.com. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
  28. ↑ "Portugal pours it on in second half". The New York Times. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2013. 
  29. ↑ "Portugal winger Simao Sabrosa retires from international football". Goal.com. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
  30. ↑ "Selecção distinguida pelo Duque de Bragança" [National team honoured by Duke of Bragança] (in Portuguese). Cristiano Ronaldo News. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2006. 
  31. ↑ IMDB profile
  32. ↑ Simão Sabrosa – Como Se Faz Um Campeão; at DVD.pt (Portuguese)
  33. ↑ "Simão é rosto de campanha do canal HD da Sport TV" [Simão is face of Sport TV HD channel's campaign] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 
  34. ↑ "Simão Sabrosa imagem FIFA 10 em Portugal" [Simão Sabrosa FIFA 10 cover in Portugal] (in Portuguese). EA Portugal. Retrieved 6 January 2010. 

External links

RCD Espanyol – current squad
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