Carlos Alhinho
Encyclopedia
Carlos Alexandre Fortes Alhinho (10 January 1949 – 31 May 2008) was a Cape Verde
an-born Portuguese
football central defender and manager
.
One of the few players in his generation to have played for the Big Three
in Portugal
- Sporting Clube de Portugal, S.L. Benfica and F.C. Porto. Until his death at the age of 59, he would then work as a coach for more than 20 years, in numerous countries.
, Alhinho moved to Portugal
shortly after. He made his professional debuts with Académica de Coimbra in the 1968–69 season, appearing in 14 matches as the Students finished in sixth position.
After three further seasons in Coimbra
, he signed for Sporting Clube de Portugal, winning his first national championship
in 1973–74, never missing a game in two of his three seasons. In 1975, he signed with La Liga
side Real Betis
but, unsettled, returned to his country of adoption a mere months after, joining F.C. Porto.
In the next five years, Alhinho would then be mainly linked contractually to S.L. Benfica, winning another league in 1976–77. During his tenure with the Reds, however, he also played in Belgium
with R.W.D. Molenbeek
- rejoining his former club after one season - and in the North American Soccer League
for the New England Tea Men
, loaned.
Aged 33, Alhinho left Benfica, played three more years in the Portuguese topflight, with Portimonense S.C.
and S.C. Farense, without ever suffering relegation, and retired from football. He immediately started coaching, with modest Lusitano Évora; in the following 22 years, he managed teams in Portugal (two in the top division), Morocco
, Angola
, Qatar
, Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia
.
internationally, gaining 15 caps
over a period of nine years. His debut came on 28 March 1973, in a 1–1 draw with Northern Ireland
for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers
, and his last game happened on May 5, 1982, in a 1–3 friendly loss with Brasil
.
In one of his first coaching jobs, in 1985, Alhinho managed the Cape Verdean national team
, working with Angola
nine years later, and again in 2000.
, Alhinho entered an empty elevator
shaft, falling from the sixth floor. Despite receiving immediate medical attention at the hotel, he died shortly afterwards, aged 59.
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an-born Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
football central defender and manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
.
One of the few players in his generation to have played for the Big Three
Big Three (Portugal)
The Big Three is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Portugal. The football teams of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. They share all but two of the Portuguese...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Sporting Clube de Portugal, S.L. Benfica and F.C. Porto. Until his death at the age of 59, he would then work as a coach for more than 20 years, in numerous countries.
Club career
Born in São Vicente, Cape VerdeSão Vicente, Cape Verde
São Vicente , also Son Visent or Son Sent in Cape Verdean Creole, is one of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. It is located between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, with the Canal de São Vicente separating it from Santo Antão.- Geography :The island is roughly rectangular in shape...
, Alhinho moved to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
shortly after. He made his professional debuts with Académica de Coimbra in the 1968–69 season, appearing in 14 matches as the Students finished in sixth position.
After three further seasons in Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, he signed for Sporting Clube de Portugal, winning his first national championship
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
in 1973–74, never missing a game in two of his three seasons. In 1975, he signed with La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
but, unsettled, returned to his country of adoption a mere months after, joining F.C. Porto.
In the next five years, Alhinho would then be mainly linked contractually to S.L. Benfica, winning another league in 1976–77. During his tenure with the Reds, however, he also played in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
with R.W.D. Molenbeek
R.W.D. Molenbeek
Racing White Daring Molenbeek was a Belgian football club founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles. It then became a member of the Belgian Football Association later the same year as White Star Athletic Club and received the matricule n°47....
- rejoining his former club after one season - and in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
for the New England Tea Men
New England Tea Men
The New England Tea Men were a soccer team based out of Foxboro, MA that played in the NASL from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was Schaefer Stadium....
, loaned.
Aged 33, Alhinho left Benfica, played three more years in the Portuguese topflight, with Portimonense S.C.
Portimonense S.C.
Portimonense Sporting Clube is a Portuguese football team based in Portimão. Founded on 14 August 1914, the club is one of the few professional clubs in the Algarve region, and currently plays in second division....
and S.C. Farense, without ever suffering relegation, and retired from football. He immediately started coaching, with modest Lusitano Évora; in the following 22 years, he managed teams in Portugal (two in the top division), Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
International career
Alhinho represented PortugalPortugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
internationally, gaining 15 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
over a period of nine years. His debut came on 28 March 1973, in a 1–1 draw with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
qualifiers
1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification....
, and his last game happened on May 5, 1982, in a 1–3 friendly loss with Brasil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
In one of his first coaching jobs, in 1985, Alhinho managed the Cape Verdean national team
Cape Verde national football team
The Cape Verde national football team, nicknamed either the Tubarões Azuis or Crioulos , is the national team of Cape Verde and is controlled by the Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol.-Overview:...
, working with Angola
Angola national football team
The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras , is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002...
nine years later, and again in 2000.
Death
On 31 May 2008, in BenguelaBenguela
Benguela is a city in western Angola, south of Luanda, and capital of Benguela Province. It lies on a bay of the same name, in 12° 33’ S., 13° 25’ E...
, Alhinho entered an empty elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
shaft, falling from the sixth floor. Despite receiving immediate medical attention at the hotel, he died shortly afterwards, aged 59.