Vítor Castanheira

Vítor Castanheira
Personal information
Full nameVítor Ilídio Castanheira Penas
Date of birth7 September 1977
Place of birthChaves, Portugal
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8 12 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Braga B (assistant)
Youth career
1987–1993Chaves
1993–1996Braga
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1996–2009Braga232(8)
2008Leixões (loan)7(1)
2008–2009Leixões (loan)8(0)
2009–2010Chaves25(4)
2010–2011Moreirense17(0)
2011–2012Chaves28(5)
2012–2013Doxa26(0)
National team
1999–2000Portugal U215(0)
Teams managed
2013–Braga B (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Vítor Ilídio Castanheira Penas, known as Castanheira (born 7 September 1977), is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a midfielder.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 247 games and nine goals over the course of 13 seasons, mainly at the service of Braga (12 years).

Football career

Born in Chaves, Castanheira signed with S.C. Braga for the 1996–97 season, and would remain there for over 11 years, always in the first division. His spell was a steady one as he was always counted on by several team coaches, and he was influential when Hungarian Miklós Fehér joined the club in 2000–01, providing ten assists as the striker scored 14 goals; he also served as club co-captain during his stay.

Castanheira was a relatively important part of the squad that finished in fourth place in 2005–06, appearing in 17 league matches (no goals). Braga nearly missed out on qualification to the UEFA Champions League, and progressed through to the round-of-16 in the following campaign's UEFA Cup.

In January 2008, as his importance in the team was gradually diminishing, he was loaned to top division promotees Leixões SC, until the end of the season. The move was extended for the following campaign, after the Matosinhos side retained its league status on the very last matchday.

In 2008–09 Castanheira was rarely used by Leixões, and was released by Braga at its closure. He returned to youth club G.D. Chaves after 18 years, with it now in the second level of Portuguese football – in a relegation-ending season. Shortly after he signed with another team in division two, newly promoted Moreirense FC.[1]

Aged nearly 35, Castanheira moved abroad for the first time, joining several compatriots at Cypriot club Doxa Katokopias FC. He retired the following year, immediately being appointed assistant coach at S.C. Braga B.[2]

References

  1. "Castanheira é reforço" [Castanheira an addition] (in Portuguese). Record. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  2. "Castanheira como adjunto" [Castanheira as assistant] (in Portuguese). Record. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.

External links