- César Peixoto
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César Peixoto Personal information Full name Paulo César Silva Peixoto Date of birth 12 May 1980 Place of birth Guimarães, Portugal Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current club Benfica Number - Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1999–2001 Caçadores Taipas 15 (2) 2001–2002 Belenenses 22 (7) 2002–2007 Porto 41 (9) 2005 → Vitória Guimarães (loan) 13 (1) 2006–2007 → Espanyol (loan) 0 (0) 2007–2009 Braga 44 (5) 2009– Benfica 31 (0) National team 2002 Portugal U21 3 (0) 2008 Portugal 1 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 May 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).Paulo César Silva Peixoto (born 12 May 1980) is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Sport Lisboa e Benfica in the Portuguese first division. Mainly a left midfielder, he can occasionally occupy the left back position.
Contents
Club career
Belenenses
After playing his first two professional seasons at lowly Clube Caçadores das Taipas (based on Caldas das Taipas near Guimarães, where he was born), Peixoto's ability as a left winger allowed him to jump from the fourth division straight into the top flight with C.F. Os Belenenses, thanks to former player João Cardoso.
He would score seven goals in his debut season, one of them a long range shot closing a 3–0 win against F.C. Porto at the Estádio do Restelo. In July 2002, he signed with Porto, going on to be managed for two years by José Mourinho.
Porto
However, Peixoto's Porto career did not go as planned: while talented, he failed to impose in the first team, and in his first season only played 15 matches, scoring three goals. Mourinho was still convinced of his abilities, so he refused to release him. Again with a slow start, he was starting to keep up with high profile players such as Benni McCarthy, Derlei and Deco when, after netting in two consecutive league games in 4–1 wins, he was seriously injured in the UEFA Champions League 3–2 victory at Olympique de Marseille on 22 October 2003 and, while it did not seem serious at first (he continued running and playing for a few minutes), in the next day a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament was diagnosed, which forced him to miss most of the season.[1]
After his recovery, Peixoto crashed his Mercedes-Benz SL500 while speeding to arrive in time at Porto's training center in Vila Nova de Gaia, and while only getting minor bruises, the car was completely wrecked and he was promptly asked for explanations by Mourinho. His image as a professional suffered much from the accident, and in the next season he was loaned to Vitória de Guimarães, in January 2005,[2] where he regained his previous form, returning to Porto for 2005–06.
Facing another loan, Peixoto was in the transfers list until the eleventh hour, being one of the final players to get a sit in the team. Following the internal problems with Nuno Valente and the sub par performances of Leandro, club manager Co Adriaanse turned him into a prolific left defender, in the same fashion of internationals Miguel or Paulo Ferreira (who played right midfielder during most of his U-21 career).
After having scored twice at Associação Naval 1º de Maio in a 3–2 success (he also netted an own goal), Peixoto again suffered a major knee injury that would keep him away from the pitch for the rest of the season, eliminating any hope of World Cup selection.[3] He would be dismissed by Adriaanse and joined La Liga side RCD Espanyol on loan for 2006–07,[4] finally losing all ties with Porto in March 2007. Previously, on 27 February, Espanyol had also terminated Peixoto's contract, as the player failed to make any competitive appearances for the Catalans.[5]
Braga / Benfica
On 30 May 2007, Peixoto signed a three-year contract with Sporting de Braga, and declared himself delighted to join "...the fourth biggest club in Portugal."[6]
After two intermittent seasons, Peixoto refused to take part in Braga's 2009–10 UEFA Europa League contests against IF Elfsborg, after reported interest from Sport Lisboa e Benfica, thus being suspended by the club. On 7 August 2009, a transfer deal between the two teams was arranged, for a fee of €400,000. However, Braga retained 50% of the player's rights.[7][8] He spent most of his first season playing as left back, battling for position with another adapted player, Fábio Coentrão.
After appearing in 65 official games for Benfica (one goal, in a 6–0 away win against Grupo Desportivo e Recreativo Monsanto for the 2009–10 Portuguese Cup), Peixoto was deemed surplus to requirements by manager Jorge Jesus, as all Portuguese players, and was not given a jersey for the 2011–12 season.
International career
At 28, Peixoto made his Portugal debut, appearing as a late substitute in a 2–6 friendly loss with Brazil, on 19 November 2008.
Honours
- Porto:
- UEFA Champions League: 2003–04
- UEFA Cup: 2002–03
- Portuguese League: 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
- Portuguese Cup: 2002–03
- Portuguese Supercup: 2003, 2004
- Benfica:
- Portuguese League: 2009–10
- Portuguese League Cup: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Portuguese Supercup: Runner-up 2010
Personal life
In the 2005 off-season, photos of Peixoto and Portuguese model and presenter Isabel Figueira dancing and hugging appeared in the pink press, and after a few weeks both announced their engagement. His colleagues noticed the engagement had a significant effect on his focusing abilities, and it helped vanish the image of the reckless, self-centered playboy he had in the past.
The couple welcomed son Rodrigo on 2 September 2006. However, the couple divorced in October 2007.
References
- ^ Porto lose César Peixoto
- ^ Machado makes way at Guimarães
- ^ César Peixoto sidelined for Porto
- ^ Porto striker adds to Espanyol options
- ^ Espanyol cancel Peixoto contract
- ^ Braga pick up César Peixoto
- ^ Peixoto pleased to join Benfica influx
- ^ César Peixoto por 400.000 euros (César Peixoto for 400,000 euros) (Portuguese)
External links
S.L. Benfica – current squad 1 Artur · 3 Emerson · 4 Luisão (C) · 5 R. Amorim · 6 Javi García · 7 Cardozo · 8 Bruno César · 9 Nolito · 10 Aimar · 14 Maxi Pereira · 16 Oliveira · 19 Rodrigo · 20 Gaitán · 21 Matić · 22 Mora · 24 Garay · 26 David Simão · 27 Miguel Vítor · 28 Witsel · 30 Saviola · 33 Jardel · 35 Enzo Pérez · 36 Luís Martins · 37 Rúben Pinto · 38 Capdevila · 39 Mika · 47 Eduardo · Manager: Jesus
Categories:- 1980 births
- Living people
- Portuguese footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Primeira Liga players
- C.F. Os Belenenses players
- F.C. Porto players
- Vitória S.C. players
- S.C. Braga players
- S.L. Benfica footballers
- RCD Espanyol footballers
- Portugal international footballers
- Portuguese expatriate footballers
- Porto:
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