Bruno Alves

Football player infobox
playername = Bruno Alves


fullname = Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves
height = height|m=1.90
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|11|27
cityofbirth = Porto
countryofbirth = Portugal
currentclub = FC Porto
clubnumber = 2
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs = FC Porto
years = 1999-2001 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-
clubs = Porto B →SC Farense (loan) →Vitória Guimarães (loan) →AEK Athens (loan) FC Porto
caps(goals) = 55 (8) 46 (3) 25 (1) 27 (0) 63 (5)
nationalyears = 2007-
nationalteam = Portugal
nationalcaps(goals) = 12 (2)
pcupdate = 22:00, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 12:19, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves (born 27 November 1981 in Porto) is a Portuguese football player that plays as a central defender, currently for F.C. Porto. He is noted for his strength, aerial ability and sometimes excessively aggressive approach to the game. He is the younger brother of another footballer, AEK Athens FC's defender Geraldo.

After three consecutive loans, two in Portugal and another in Greece, Alves returned to F.C. Porto in 2005-06, and battled for a first-team spot with Ricardo Costa and João Paulo. He played in seven league matches for the eventual champions, but was infamously sent off on October 15, 2005, in a 0-2 home loss against SL Benfica, after headbutting Nuno Gomes.

The arrival of Jesualdo Ferreira at the helm of FC Porto would signal the turning point in Alves’ career. He beat off stiff competition for a starting berth in the team alongside Pepe, and formed a rock solid partnership with the Brazilian. An impressive season saw the player, now in his mid twenties, finally come of age. Alves was ever-present as Porto won another national championship, and while the likes of Ricardo Quaresma, Anderson, Lucho González and Pepe picked up most of the plaudits, Alves’ key role in the success did not go unnoticed.

Luiz Felipe Scolari gave the defender his full Portugal debut in June 2007 against a team from Kuwait. In Euro 2008, Alves played in the 0-2 group stage loss against Switzerland.

Honours

F.C. Porto:
*Portuguese League: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08
*Portuguese Cup: 2006
*Portuguese Supercup: 2005

External links

* [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogador.php?id=511 Stats and profile at zerozero.pt]