Eliseu

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Pereira and the second or paternal family name is dos Santos.
Eliseu

Eliseu playing for Málaga in 2012
Personal information
Full nameEliseu Pereira dos Santos
Date of birth1 October 1983
Place of birthAngra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing positionLeft back / Winger
Club information
Current team
Benfica
Number19
Youth career
1994–2001Marítimo Angra
2001–2002Belenenses
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2002–2007Belenenses52(3)
2005–2006→ Varzim (loan)16(3)
2007–2009Málaga73(10)
2009–2010Lazio2(0)
2010→ Zaragoza (loan)21(2)
2010–2014Málaga116(9)
2014–Benfica21(4)
National team‡
2004Portugal U212(0)
2009–Portugal7(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 April 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 March 2015

Eliseu Pereira dos Santos (born 1 October 1983), known simply as Eliseu, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Benfica and the Portugal national team, either as a left back or left winger. He is known for his powerful shots.

After starting out at Belenenses he went on to spend most of his career with Málaga after signing in 2007, appearing in 224 official games and scoring 27 goals in two different spells.

Early years

Eliseu was born in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, to a Cape Verdean mother, Néné Pereira, a restaurant owner, and a Portuguese father, an ambulance driver. The couple divorced when their child was a teenager.[1]

Club career

Belenenses

Eliseu moved to Portugal's mainland in 2002, moving from Sport Clube Marítimo de Angra do Heroísmo to C.F. Os Belenenses. He gradually broke into the Lisbon-based club's first team, appearing in 19 top division games in his second season.

After a loan with Varzim S.C. in the second level, Eliseu continued to be a relatively important offensive player for Belenenses, but being used mainly as a substitute.

Málaga

For the 2007–08 campaign Eliseu, alongside countrymen Hélder Rosário and Paulo Jorge, moved to Málaga CF, helping the Andalusians return to La Liga after a two-year absence, with the Portuguese trio totalling 108 matches and six goals combined (three from Eliseu).[2]

Eliseu while at Málaga

The following season he continued to be firmly established in the side's starting XI, scoring his first Spanish top flight goal(s) in a 4–0 away win over neighbours Recreativo de Huelva on 5 October 2008. The following month he also netted, in a 3–4 loss at Real Madrid.[3]

On 25 June 2009, Eliseu joined S.S. Lazio in Italy for exactly €1 million.[4] However, after receiving few opportunities, he joined Real Zaragoza on 7 January of the following year, on loan until the end of the season.[5] He scored in only his second match for the Aragonese, which lost 2–4 at Villarreal CF.

After majorly contributing to Zaragoza avoiding relegation – he also scored in the last matchday, netting a thunderous 35-yard free kick against the same opponents, in a 3–3 home draw – Eliseu returned to Málaga, sharing teams with compatriot Duda.

Eliseu started the 2010–11 season firmly established in the starting XI. On 27 September 2010 he scored from 25 meters against Villarreal to open the score; minutes later, however, he headbutted Carlos Marchena and was sent off, in an eventual 2–3 home loss.[6] As his suspension was lifted he was able to appear in the next fixture, at UD Almería, but the player again received his marching orders after elbowing Juan Manuel Ortiz (1–1 draw).[7] When available, he was an undisputed starter, scoring in a 4–1 home win against Racing de Santander on 5 December 2010 from a volley and also providing two assists to Salomón Rondón;[8] following the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini, who replaced sacked Jesualdo Ferreira, he was mostly used as a left back.[2]

After the arrival of Nacho Monreal, Eliseu played in midfield more often then not. On 3 October 2012 he netted a brace in a 3–0 away win against R.S.C. Anderlecht for the season's UEFA Champions League group stage, the first coming from 20 meters with a thunderous volley and the second through a lob over the goalkeeper.[9]

Benfica

On 24 July 2014, Eliseu signed for Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be around €1.5 million, on a two-year deal with the option for a further one.[10] He reunited at the club with former Belenenses coach, Jorge Jesus, having being rumoured to join since 2012.[11][12]

Eliseu made his official debut for Benfica on 10 August 2014, playing the full 120 minutes as a left back in a penalty shootout win against Rio Ave for the domestic supercup (0–0 draw). He scored his first goal for Benfica with a strike from outside the box, which ended up being the winning goal at Boavista's artificial turf.[13] On 21 September, he scored his second goal in a league match against Moreirense, with a strike from 30 meters out.[14]

On 21 February 2015, Eliseu scored another goal from outside the box against Moreirense in the league – it was his second goal in an away victory (1–3).[15] On 14 March, he scored the second goal in Benfica's home win against Braga (2–0) in Primeira Liga.[16]

International career

Courtesy of his Málaga performances, Eliseu was first called to the Portuguese national team for an exhibition game with Finland on 11 February 2009, but did not leave the bench. He finally made his debut on 10 June in a 0–0 friendly against Estonia.

Although not part of the provisional 24-player list for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,[17][18] Eliseu was named in a backup list of six players.[19] He scored his first international goal on 7 October 2011, in a 5–3 home win against Iceland for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers where he featured as a left back and also provided two assists.

Career statistics

International appearances

National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 200920
201121
201420
201510
Total71

International goals

Eliseu: International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 7 October 2011 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal  Iceland 5–2 5–3 Euro 2012 qualifying

Honours

Lazio
Benfica

References

  1. ↑ Where and when was Eliseu born and who does he play for?; Socqer, 9 October 2011
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Eliseu, el diamante creativo del Málaga convertido en roca defensive" [Eliseu, Málaga's creative diamond converted in defensive rock] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  3. ↑ Four-star Higuaín and Eto'o turn on the style; UEFA.com, 9 November 2008
  4. ↑ "Málaga winger Eliseu signs for Lazio". Goal.com. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  5. ↑ Zaragoza take Lazio midfielder Eliseu on loan; The Guardian
  6. ↑ First-half thriller; ESPN Soccernet, 27 September 2010
  7. ↑ Almeria miss a trick; ESPN Soccernet, 3 October 2010
  8. ↑ Malaga move clear; ESPN Soccernet, 5 December 2010
  9. ↑ Eliseu double helps Málaga see off Anderlecht; UEFA.com, 3 October 2012
  10. ↑ "Málaga CF y SL Benfica alcanzan un acuerdo para el traspaso de Eliseu" [Málaga CF and SL Benfica agree on Eliseu transfer] (in Spanish). Málaga's official website. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Benfica: Eliseu é o preferido para defesa esquerdo" [Benfica: Eliseu is favorite left-back] (in Portuguese). Relvado. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Eliseu: "Tenho uma paixão enorme pelo Benfica"" [Eliseu: "I am very passionate about Benfica"] (in Portuguese). Benfica's official website. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Boavista 0-1 Benfica". RTP. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Benfica-Moreirense, 3-1 (crónica)". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). 21 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "Moreirense - Benfica (Jornada 22 Liga NOS 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal" (in Portuguese). LPFP. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Benfica - SC Braga (Jornada 25 Liga NOS 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal" (in Portuguese). LPFP. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Convocados revelados" [Squad revealed] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  18. ↑ "Pepe in Portugal squad". FIFA.com. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  19. ↑ Release list of up to 30 players; FIFA.com

External links