Fernando Aguiar

Football player infobox
playername = Fernando Aguiar
fullname = Fernando João Lobo Aguiar


nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1972|03|18
cityofbirth = Chaves
countryofbirth = Portugal
height = 185 cm : 88 kg
currentclub = FC Maia
clubnumber = 66
position = Defensive midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1991-1993
1994-1995
1995-1997
1997-1999
1999-2001
2002-2004
2002-2003
2004
2004-2005
2006-2008
2008-
clubs = Toronto Blizzard
CS Marítimo
CD Nacional
FC Maia
SC Beira-Mar
SL Benfica
UD Leiria (loan)
Landskrona BoIS
FC Penafiel
Gondomar SC
FC Maia
caps(goals) =
21 (3)
51 (2)

nationalteam = Canada U-23
Canada
nationalyears = 1992
1993-2002
nationalcaps(goals) = 4 (0)
13 (0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate = September 30, 2008

Fernando João Lobo Aguiar (born March 18, 1972 in Chaves) is a Portuguese-born Canadian football player. He is currently on the books of F.C. Maia, as a powerfully built defensive midfielder.

Club career

Aguiar began his career in the Canadian Soccer League, playing for his "hometown" (he moved to Canada at an early age) Toronto Blizzard. Although the league disbanded in 1992, he remained with the team for its only season in the American Professional Soccer League.

He began his European career in 1994 with Portuguese first division side C.S. Marítimo. However, he had trouble cracking the line-up, and subsequently dropped down a division, where he would spend five years playing for C.D. Nacional, F.C. Maia, and S.C. Beira Mar, helping the latter achieve promotion and subsequently stay in the Portuguese top flight.

His good form was noticed by giants SL Benfica, for whom he signed in January 2002, going on to play a somewhat important defensive role. On January 25, 2004, Aguiar scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win against Vitória de Guimarães (in the 90th minute), assisted by Miklós Fehér, who would die in the hospital just hours later. He also helped the Lisbon side capture the 2004 Portuguese Cup.

After his cup winning exploits, Aguiar made a surprise transfer to Swedish side Landskrona BoIS. However, an injury and his high wages ruined the move, and he left after only a few months for F.C. Penafiel. In 2006, he joined second tier side Gondomar S.C..

In September 2008, Aguiar joined F.C. Maia, in the Portuguese Third Division.

International career

Aguiar has both Portuguese and Canadian citizenship, but having grown up in Canada he featured for the Canadian national team. He is arguably Canada's second most successful player to have featured in Portugal, after striker Alex Bunbury, and is one of about a dozen Portuguese-Canadians to have played soccer in Portugal.

Honours

*Portuguese Cup 2004

External links

* [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogador.php?id=314&search=1 Stats and profile at zerozero.pt]
* [http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/nationals/profile.asp?playerid=116&sub=3 Canadian Soccer Association profile]