Hugo Leal

Football player infobox| playername = Hugo Leal
fullname = Hugo Miguel Ribeiro Leal
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1980|5|21
cityofbirth = Cascais
countryofbirth = Portugal
height = 180 cm : 75 kg
currentclub = CF Os Belenenses
clubnumber = 20
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1996-1999
1997-1998
1999-2001
2001-2004
2004-2005
2005
2005-2007
2007-
clubs = SL Benfica
→ FC Alverca (loan)
Atlético Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain FC
FC Porto
→ Académica (loan)
SC Braga
CF Os Belenenses
caps(goals) = 33 (3)
20 (3)
57 (5)
60 (2)
7 (0)
12 (0)
12 (0)
5 (0)
nationalyears = 2001 -
nationalteam = Portugal
nationalcaps(goals) = 1 (0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Hugo Miguel Ribeiro Leal (born May 21, 1980) is a Portuguese professional football (soccer) player. A fast and aggressive player who plays in the attacking midfielder position, he is also a reliable set piece taker. He has played one game for the Portugal national football team.

Born in Cascais, Portugal, Hugo Leal started his career with nearby club SL Benfica, as a teenager in the 1996-97 season. On 20 April 1997 he made his debut for Benfica in the Portuguese Liga against S.C. Espinho, in a 2-0 victory. He made his breakthrough in the 1998-99 season, playing 27 league games and scoring three goals. He was called up to the Portuguese national team aged 18, playing his only game, a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in Paris on February 19, 1999. In the summer 1999, he moved abroad to play for Spanish club Atlético Madrid in La Liga. In his first year at Atlético, the club was relegated to the Segunda División. He stayed with the club for the 2000-01 season, but could not help them win promotion back into the top flight.

He moved to France in the summer 2001, to play for Paris Saint Germain in the Ligue 1 championship. With PSG, he reached the final of the 2003 Coupe de France, but lost to AJ Auxerre. In his three years at PSG, his playing was gradually cut, forcing the player to move back to Portugal in the summer 2004, signing for FC Porto. [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=213854.html|title=Hugo Leal picked by Porto|date=2004-08-08|accessdate=2008-05-03|publisher=UEFA.com] He played six months in Porto, before moving on to Académica de Coimbra during the 2004-05 season. For the 2005-06 season, he signed for SC Braga, [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=315903.html|title=Hugo Leal bound for Braga|date=2005-07-11|accessdate=2008-08-03|publisher=UEFA.com] but left the club by mutual agreement in January 2007.

In August in returned to Lisbon, joining CF Os Belenenses in a one-year deal.

References

Honours

*Coupe de France (2003/04)
*Portuguese SuperCup (2004/05)

External links

* [http://www.national-football-teams.com/php/spieler.php?id=11932 NationalFootballTeams statistics]
*lfpfr|104587