Pedro Emanuel

Football player infobox
playername = Pedro Emanuel


fullname = Pedro Emanuel dos Santos Martins Silva
height = height|m=1.80
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|02|11
cityofbirth = Luanda
countryofbirth = Angola
currentclub = FC Porto
clubnumber = 3
position = Central defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1993-1994 1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-2002 2002-
clubs = FC Marco AD Ovarense FC Penafiel Boavista FC
FC Porto
caps(goals) = 028 (2) 031 (2) 028 (2) 154 (2) 115 (1)
nationalyears = 2006
nationalteam = Portugal U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 4 (0)
pcupdate = 00:00, 1 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Pedro Emanuel dos Santos Martins Silva, Pedro Emanuel (born February 11, 1975 in Luanda, Angola), is a Potuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto, as a rugged central defender.

Club career

After three seasons as a professional in Portugal's secondary leagues, with FC Marco in 1993-94, AD Ovarense in 1994-95 and FC Penafiel in the following, his performances caught the eye of scouts from the Porto side Boavista FC. During his six-year stay in the team, Emanuel played a large part in the defensive wall (with captain and fellow stopper Litos, wingbacks Nuno Frechaut and Erivan and goalkeeper Ricardo) that led Boavista to the historical Superliga title in 2000-2001. After Litos left for Málaga CF, Emanuel captained the team for one season, but a move to a larger club was close.

Prior to the start of 2002-03, SL Benfica seemed closer to clinching a deal, but it was FC Porto, under the guidance of José Mourinho, who signed the player. Part of a strong defense that included Jorge Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Nuno Valente, his always effective style earned him the confidence of Mourinho during the high-pressure time when the team had to deal with constant bombings in the area. He played in both the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals won by Porto between 2003 and 2004.

In the season following the departure of Mourinho, Pedro Emanuel still managed to appear in the spotlight, as in the 2004 European/South American Cup final victory against Once Caldas, where he scored the decisive penalty, becoming the last player to touch the ball in the competition's history.

In the 2005-06 season, following the decision of Dutch coach Co Adriaanse not wanting a goalkeeper captain (Vítor Baía) and sidelining Jorge Costa, Emanuel was chosen as the side's new captain.

Emanuel missed the entire 2006-07 due to injury, but returned to the starting lineups the following season, helping with 19 league appearances as Porto were crowned back-to-back champions.

International career

Emanuel is Angolan-born, but has never represented the national team "Palancas Negras" internationally. Some interpreted this as a desire to keep alive the possibility of playing for Portugal, the nation he represented at junior levels.

Prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he accepted a call-up from the Angola national football team, but FIFA confirmed that he (and Carlos Chaínho) could not represent other teams than Portugal, because of a new law set-up in 2004 which considered playing for junior sides at international level. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/4962680.stm Angola plea to FIFA] ]

Personal life

Unlike most players, Emanuel not only finished secondary school, but also graduated in Agriculture.fact|date=October 2007

Honours

*Portuguese League: 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08
*Portuguese Cup: 1996-97, 2002-03, 2005-06
*Portuguese Supercup: 2003-04
*UEFA Cup: 2002-03
*UEFA Champions League: 2003-04
*Intercontinental Cup: 2004-05

References

External links

* [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogador.php?id=412&search=1 Stats and profile at zerozero.pt]