António André
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | António dos Santos Ferreira André | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Vila do Conde, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1971–1976 | Rio Ave | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1976–1977 | Rio Ave | ||
| 1977–1978 | Ribeirão | ||
| 1978–1984 | Varzim | 136 | (30) |
| 1984–1995 | Porto | 276 | (23) |
| National team | |||
| 1985–1992 | Portugal | 19 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
António dos Santos Ferreira André (born 24 December 1957) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
He gained notoriety for his tough tackling which on occasion bordered on the violent, and is best known for his lengthy spell at F.C. Porto, with which he won several domestic and continental accolades.
Club career
At the age of 13, André entered hometown Rio Ave FC's youth system, as he complemented the sporting activities with fishing in the high sea, in which his family was involved – it was also one of the main activities at Vila do Conde, where he was born.
In 1978 André signed his first professional contract, also up north, with Varzim Sport Club, although he continued to work with his family. Still, he produced four solid seasons at the club, scoring a career-high ten goals in 1983–84.
Under the advice of legendary club manager José Maria Pedroto, F.C. Porto signed André in that summer. After initial difficulties due to injuries he was firmly installed in the side's central midfield, remaining there for nine consecutive years and helping the team win 19 titles overall.
In his last two years, André was challenged for position by the player who regarded him as his role model, Paulinho Santos, and appeared less. He retired at the age of 37, winning the league in his last season as Porto was managed by Bobby Robson, in what would be the first of five consecutive national titles for the club.
André retired in June 1995 with 379 games in the main division, scoring 41 goals and adding to that 48 matches with four goals in European competition. He then continued to work with Porto, as an assistant for several coaches. He was chosen by Portuguese sports newspaper Record as one of the best 100 Portuguese football players ever.
International career
André played for the Portuguese national team 19 times (one goal), making his debut on 30 January 1985 in a friendly with Romania as the latter won it 3–2 in Lisbon.
He represented the nation at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, playing in the entire 1–0 win against England and also appearing against Poland, but Portugal exited in the group stage.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 March 1989 | Estádio José Alvalade (1956), Lisbon, Portugal |  Angola | 3–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
Honours
- European Cup: 1986–87
- UEFA Super Cup: 1987
- Intercontinental Cup: 1987
- Portuguese League: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95
- Portuguese Cup: 1987–88, 1990–91, 1993–94
- Portuguese Supercup: 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
Personal life
André's son, André, was also a footballer and a midfielder. He too played for Porto (youth only) and Varzim.
Bibliography
- Dias, Rui - Record - 100 Melhores do Futebol Português - Volume I (Record - The 100 best of Portuguese Football); EDISPORT, 2002
External links
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- António André profile at ForaDeJogo
- António André at National-Football-Teams.com
- António André – FIFA competition record
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