Fernando Meira
Encyclopedia
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
) is a 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...
footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, as a central defender.
In his country, he represented most notably Vitória de Guimarães, also playing one year with Benfica. After a lengthy spell in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
, he went on to appear for teams in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
A strong and skillful defender, Meira gained more than 50 caps for the Portuguese national team
Portugal 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...
, representing the nation in one World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and one European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
.
Early career / Benfica
Meira began his professional career with hometown's Vitória de Guimarães, but only had one solid season with its first team, in 1999–2000, precisely his last, as he appeared in 30 of his 53 games with the Minho club. In 1998, he was also loaned, to F.C. Felgueiras in the second divisionLiga de Honra
The Liga de Honra , known for sponsorship reasons as the Liga Orangina, is the Portuguese second level football league. It was formerly called Segunda Divisão and Segunda Divisão de Honra . When the LPFP took control of the two nationwide levels, it was renamed Segunda Liga, before renaming it...
, being an essential defensive unit as the side narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing fifth.
In the 2000 summer, Meira joined Portuguese top flight giants S.L. Benfica, for €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
4 million + one player. He appeared in 31 games in his first season (30 starts), also being awarded team captaincy, but the Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
club did not win any silverware during his stint.
Stuttgart
In January 2002, Meira signed for VfB StuttgartVfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, joining the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
outfit for €7.5 million. The club's general manager, Rolf Rüssmann
Rolf Rüssmann
Rolf Rüssmann was a German international footballer who played as a defender for FC Schalke 04, Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund.-Player bio:...
, described the player as a "trophy" signing, and he made his official debut on the 26th, in a 3–0 home win against Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
.
In the 2002–03 season, Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
fielded Meira in 31 league matches, and only a suspension prevented him from featuring in all 34 as Stuttgart finished second behind FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
to clinch UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification. He missed two UEFA Cup matches, including the home defeat against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the fourth round's first leg, and found the net in the second round's 2–0 home win against Ferencvárosi TC.
In 2006–07, Meira was named captain by manager Armin Veh
Armin Veh
Armin Veh is a German former footballer and current manager who works for Eintracht Frankfurt. He won the German championship with Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart on 19 May 2007. Veh and his team also had the chance to win "the double" by winning the DFB-Cup on 26 May 2007 in Berlin, but lost 2–3 in...
, making him the first Portuguese captain ever in the Bundesliga. He appeared in 20 games (with three goals) as the Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
club was crowned national champions for the first in 15 years, adding four in the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
runner-up campaign.
During his six 1/2-year spell with Stuttgart, Meira made 230 official appearances, and scored 13 goals. He left the club in the 2008 summer, aged 30.
Galatasaray
On 20 July 2008, at the end of the 2007–08 season, Stuttgart removed Meira of the team captaincy and announced their intention to sell the player. Two days later, he signed with Galatasaray SKGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for €4.5 million on a four-year contract.
Meira made his official team debut in the season's Turkish Super Cup
Turkish Super Cup
The TFF Süper Kupa, as it is currently known, is the annual super cup football match contested between the previous season's Süper Lig champions and the Turkish Cup winners in Turkey. It was originally known as the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası from 1966 to 1998. No competition was held between 1999 and...
, a 2–1 win victory against Kayserispor
Kayserispor
Kayserispor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Kayseri. Formed in 1966, Kayserispor are nicknamed Anadolu Yıldızı . The club colours are red and yellow, and the club play their home matches at Kadir Has Stadium.The club have won one Türkiye Kupası, in 2008...
, but left the Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
outfit at the end of the season, with his team only ranking in fifth position in the Süper Lig.
Zenit Saint Petersburg
In mid-March 2009, after reported interest from FC Zenit Saint PetersburgFC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
as the player grew unsettled at Galatasaray, Meira signed for the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n club for €4.5 million, being awarded the #3 shirt previously worn by Martin Škrtel
Martin Škrtel
Martin Škrtel is a Slovak footballer who plays in defence for Liverpool and the Slovakia national football team.-Biography:Škrtel was born in Handlová and raised in Ráztočno and began playing football at the age of six...
.
He made his Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
debut on 15 March 2009, starting in a 1–1 draw against FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
. On 5 April, he scored his first goal for his new team, in a 3–0 win over FC Tom Tomsk.
Later years
On 15 August 2011, aged 33, Meira signed with Real ZaragozaReal Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, after mutually terminating his contract with Zenit. He made his official debut on the 28th, starting and being booked in a 0–6 home loss against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
In his spell with the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese, Meira featured almost exclusively as a defensive midfielder, partnering Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Leonardo Ponzio
Leonardo Ponzio
Leonardo Daniel Ponzio is an Argentine footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza in Spain, mainly as a defensive midfielder.-Club career:...
.
International career
After having gained more than 30 capsCap (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...
for the under-21s
Portugal national under-21 football team
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation . They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future...
, Meira made his full debut for Portugal
Portugal 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...
in 2000. In 2004, he played in three games at the Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, in an eventual group stage exit
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
.
Meira was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Benefitting from injury to Jorge Andrade, he played in all of Portugal's seven games in the tournament, as the national team finished fourth. He continued to be a regular fixture at UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, appearing in three group stage matches but missing the quarterfinal clash against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, a 2–3 loss.
Club
|-|1999–00||rowspan="1"|Guimarães||rowspan="1"|Primeira Liga||30||2||4||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||34||2
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Benfica||rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga||31||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||2||0||36||0
|-
|2001–02||15||2||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||17||2
|-
|-
|2001–02||rowspan="7"|Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
||rowspan="7"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||14||2||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||14||2
|-
|2002–03|||31||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||6||1||39||2
|-
|2003–04|||32||1||3||0||colspan="2"|—||8||0||43||1
|-
|2004–05|||16||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||3||1||20||2
|-
|2005–06|||32||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||6||0||40||0
|-
|2006–07|||20||3||4||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||24||3
|-
|2007–08|||28||3||3||0||colspan="2"|—||6||0||37||3
|-
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="1"|Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
||Süper Lig||21||0||6||0||colspan="2"|—||10||0||37||0
|-
|-
|2009||rowspan="3"|Zenit
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
||rowspan="3"|Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
||22||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||2||0||26||1
|-
|2010
2010 Russian Premier League
The 2010 Russian Premier League is the 19th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 9th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started on 12 March 2010. The last matches have been played on 29 November 2010. On 14 November 2010,...
||11||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||5||0||19||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Russian Premier League
The 2011–12 Russian Premier League is the 20th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 10th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season began on 12 March 2011. The last matches will be played in spring 2012, as the league will switch...
||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||4||0||8||0
|-
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 La Liga
The 2011–12 La Liga season is the 81st since its establishment. Barcelona are the defending champions, having won their 21st La Liga title in the previous season for the third time in a row. The campaign began on 27 August 2011, and will end on 13 May 2012...
||rowspan="1"|Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
||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...
||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||1||0
|-
76||4||9||0||colspan="2"|—||2||0||87||4
173||11||15||0||colspan="2"|—||29||2||217||13
21||0||6||0||colspan="2"|—||10||0||37||0
34||1||8||0||colspan="2"|—||11||0||53||1
1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||1||0
305||16||38||0||colspan="2"|—||50||2||403||18
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal Portugal 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... |
2000 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 54 | 2 | |
| Last Update: 12 May 2009 | |||
Club
Stuttgart- German LeagueFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 2006–07 - German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: Runner-up 2006–07 - German League CupDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
: Runner-up 2005
Galatasaray
- Turkish Super CupTurkish Super CupThe TFF Süper Kupa, as it is currently known, is the annual super cup football match contested between the previous season's Süper Lig champions and the Turkish Cup winners in Turkey. It was originally known as the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası from 1966 to 1998. No competition was held between 1999 and...
: 2008
Zenit
- Russian LeagueRussian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
: 20102010 Russian Premier LeagueThe 2010 Russian Premier League is the 19th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 9th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started on 12 March 2010. The last matches have been played on 29 November 2010. On 14 November 2010,... - Russian Cup: 2009–102009–10 Russian CupThe Russian Cup 2009–10 is the eighteenth season of the Russian football knockout tournament since the dissolution of Soviet Union. The competition started on April 20, 2009 and finished with the Final held on 16 May 2010.-First round:...
- Russian Super CupRussian Super CupThe Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
: 20112011 Russian Super CupThe 2011 Russian Football Super Cup was the 9th Russian Super Cup match, a football match which was contested between the 2010 Russian Premier League champion and 2009–10 Russian Cup champion, Zenit St. Petersburg, and the runner-up of 2010 Russian Premier League, CSKA Moscow...
Orders
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaOrder of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaThe Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
(House of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
)