Ricardo Rocha (Portuguese footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Sérgio Rocha Azevedo (born 3 October 1978) is a Portuguese
footballer who plays for Portsmouth
in the Football League Championship
, as a defender
.
. Having made a name for himself with perennial UEFA Cup qualification candidates Sporting de Braga, and making his first division debuts during 1999–2000, he moved to national giants Sport Lisboa e Benfica in December 2001, along with teammates Armando Sá
and Tiago
, and developed into a fierce stopper with good marking ability.
During his four 1/2 seasons with the Lisbon
club, he made a total of 162 appearances and scored three goals, which included 33 matches in European competitions
. He added 25 matches in the 2004–05 league campaign, as the Reds ended an 11-year drought and conquered the national championship.
On 28 March 2006, Rocha had a widely lauded performance in the UEFA Champions League
quarter-finals first leg against eventual champions FC Barcelona
, marking Ronaldinho
out of the game in a 0–0 home draw (0–2 aggregate loss).
was a possibility. The following day, Portuguese newspapers reported that the move was imminent following a meeting in Lisbon between Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
, former Tottenham player turned agent Ronny Rosenthal
and the Benfica president, with a price of €
5 million (£
3.2m) plus two friendlies between the clubs, with Benfica receiving all profits from the gate receipts and television money, being arranged.
Rocha was signed by Tottenham for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £3.3 million on a three-and-half-year deal, on 23 January 2007. He played his first game on 27 January, in the 3–1 win over Southend United
in the FA Cup
fourth round, in place of captain Ledley King
who was injured at the time. On 10 February he played his first Premier League match for the Spurs, against Sheffield United
.
Rocha made just five league appearances for Tottenham in 2007–08, and none in all competitions in the following season. He was eventually released on 14 June 2009, after his contract expired.
On 31 August 2009, Rocha moved to Belgium
with Standard Liège
, on a one-year deal. However, his contract was terminated on the 30 January 2010. On 1 February, he returned to England
, signing a two-year deal with Portsmouth
, making his debut in a 5–0 defeat at Manchester United
five days later.
Rocha was sent off
in his next two Portsmouth games, against Sunderland
on 9 February, and late-on in his return game against Burnley
, on 27 February. Things improved for the defender when he put in a Man of the match
performance in Portsmouth's FA Cup semi-final
victory over former club Spurs.
In the 2010 summer, Portsmouth offered Rocha a new contract, on 4 September, he re-signed with the club, with the two-year deal being officially confirmed by the team six days later. He was sent off in two consecutive games, against Reading
(0–2 loss) and Cardiff City
(0–3 defeat), finishing the season
with 29 league appearances as his team ranked in 16th position.
in 2002 against Scotland
, Rocha returned for two UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Finland
and Denmark
, after a three-year absence, as he was not a regular starter at Benfica then.
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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Portugal
Rocha was born in Santo Tirso, Porto DistrictPorto District
The District of Porto , sometimes Oporto in English, is located on the north-west coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Porto, the second largest city in the country...
. Having made a name for himself with perennial UEFA Cup qualification candidates Sporting de Braga, and making his first division debuts during 1999–2000, he moved to national giants Sport Lisboa e Benfica in December 2001, along with teammates Armando Sá
Armando Sá
Armando Miguel Correia de Sá is a retired Mozambican footballer who played usually a right defender.He also holds a Portuguese passport, and played professionally in four different countries in a 16-year professional career: Portugal , Spain, England and Iran.-Club...
and Tiago
Tiago Mendes
Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A...
, and developed into a fierce stopper with good marking ability.
During his four 1/2 seasons with 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, he made a total of 162 appearances and scored three goals, which included 33 matches in European competitions
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. He added 25 matches in the 2004–05 league campaign, as the Reds ended an 11-year drought and conquered the national championship.
On 28 March 2006, Rocha had a widely lauded performance in the 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...
quarter-finals first leg against eventual champions FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, marking Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
out of the game in a 0–0 home draw (0–2 aggregate loss).
Abroad
On 17 January 2007, stories hit the Portuguese and English media confirming that a move to Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
was a possibility. The following day, Portuguese newspapers reported that the move was imminent following a meeting in Lisbon between Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
Daniel Levy
Daniel Levy may refer to:*Daniel Levy , Chairman of the British football club Tottenham Hotspur*Daniel Levy , Israeli political analyst, active in the joint non-governmental Israeli-Palestinian Geneva Initiative...
, former Tottenham player turned agent Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal also known by the nickname Rocket Ronny is an Israeli former footballer. After starting his career in the city of his birth with Maccabi Haifa, Rosenthal went on to play in Belgium with Club Brugge and Standard Liège. He moved to Liverpool in 1990 for a fee of £1.1million, becoming...
and the Benfica president, with a price of €
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,...
5 million (£
Pound sign
The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...
3.2m) plus two friendlies between the clubs, with Benfica receiving all profits from the gate receipts and television money, being arranged.
Rocha was signed by Tottenham for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £3.3 million on a three-and-half-year deal, on 23 January 2007. He played his first game on 27 January, in the 3–1 win over Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fourth round, in place of captain Ledley King
Ledley King
Ledley Brenton King is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. He is the longest serving player at the club and captained Spurs since 2005. He is currently contracted to Tottenham until 2012...
who was injured at the time. On 10 February he played his first Premier League match for the Spurs, against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
Rocha made just five league appearances for Tottenham in 2007–08, and none in all competitions in the following season. He was eventually released on 14 June 2009, after his contract expired.
On 31 August 2009, Rocha moved to 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 Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
, on a one-year deal. However, his contract was terminated on the 30 January 2010. On 1 February, he returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, signing a two-year deal with Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, making his debut in a 5–0 defeat at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
five days later.
Rocha was sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
in his next two Portsmouth games, against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 9 February, and late-on in his return game against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, on 27 February. Things improved for the defender when he put in a Man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
performance in Portsmouth's FA Cup semi-final
2009–10 FA Cup
The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released...
victory over former club Spurs.
In the 2010 summer, Portsmouth offered Rocha a new contract, on 4 September, he re-signed with the club, with the two-year deal being officially confirmed by the team six days later. He was sent off in two consecutive games, against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
(0–2 loss) and Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
(0–3 defeat), finishing the season
2010–11 Football League Championship
The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
with 29 league appearances as his team ranked in 16th position.
International career
After making his full debut for 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...
in 2002 against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, Rocha returned for two UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
and Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, after a three-year absence, as he was not a regular starter at Benfica then.
Honours
- Benfica:
- Portuguese League: 2004–05
- Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2003–04 - Portuguese Supercup: 2004
- PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
:- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: Runner-up 2009–102009–10 FA CupThe 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released...
- FA Cup