Marco Freitas (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Luis Verissimo de Freitas | ||
| Date of birth | 29 August 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Benguela, Angola | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985−1989 | Machico | ||
| 1989−1991 | Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991−1995 | Nacional | 62 | (5) |
| 1991−1992 | → Machico (loan) | ||
| 1995−1998 | Vitória de Guimarães | 62 | (3) |
| 1998−2003 | Benfica | 1 | (0) |
| 1998−1999 | → Alverca (loan) | 30 | (3) |
| 1999−2000 | Benfica B | 1 | (0) |
| 2000−2001 | → Alverca (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2001−2003 | → Salgueiros (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2003−2004 | Felgueiras | 24 | (0) |
| 2004−2005 | Pontassolense | 24 | (3) |
| 2005−2008 | Machico | 37 | (0) |
| Total | 272 | (15) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001−2002 | Angola | 3 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Marco Luis Verissimo de Freitas (born 29 August 1972), is an Angolan footballer of Portuguese descent who played as a defensive midfielder.
Club career
Born in Benguela, Freitas emigrated to Madeira as a 13-year-old, joining A.D. Machico youth ranks, where he would spent four seasons, moving to C.D. Nacional in 1989. He returned to his former team in his debut season as professional in 1991-92. He returned to Nacional in the following seasons, where he became a regular used player, amassing over sixty league caps in the second tier.[1]
In 1995, he joined Vitória S.C., where he had, arguably, the best years of his career, being an important player in a team that reach two consecutive fifth-place finishes, plus a club best, third place in 1997-98. His performances led him to S.L. Benfica in 1998, being immediately loaned out to farm team, F.C. Alverca.[2][3]
In Alverca, Freitas was a regular starter, partnering in the midfield with Jamir and Nandinho, and helping the club remain in the top tier.[2][1]
He returned to Benfica in the next year, debuting on 31 October 1999, in an away loss against Alverca. He was mostly a reserve player, almost never being used by Jupp Heynckes.[4][5] Still under contract with Benfica, Freitas returned to Alverca in 2000, spending one year there, now mostly as a bench player, moving to S.C. Salgueiros for the two remaining years of his contract.[6]
The later years of his career, where spent on the second tier, and third tier, retiring in 2008.[1]
International career
Freitas was on the course to join the Portugal national team in 1996, but it never materialize. He debuted for the Angola national team in 2001, making three caps.[1][2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Marco Freitas". Glórias do Passado (in Portuguese). 26 July 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Nº239 - Marco Freitas". Vedeta ou Marreta (in Portuguese). 28 February 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ↑ "Flops Benfiquistas 1999/00 - Marco Freitas - 4J 0G" [Benfica Flops 1999/00 - Marco Freitas]. Flops do Benfica (in Portuguese). 7 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ↑ "Marco Freitas é forte hipótese para o Benfica B" [Marco Freitas could play for Benfica B]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 November 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ↑ "Marco Freitas recusa ficar no Benfica sem jogar" [Marco Freitas refuses to stay at Benfica without playing]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 May 2000. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ↑ "Marco Freitas, Tiago e Ernesto na apresentação" [Marco Freitas, Tiago and Ernesto presented]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 July 2001.
External links
- NFT Profile
- Marco Freitas profile at ForaDeJogo
- Marco Freitas at footballzz.co.uk